


Cause Princess, We're Endgame

by MarsHunter06



Category: Total Drama (Cartoon)
Genre: 10 years after TDI, F/M, Music influenced fic, Never thought I would be writing a duncney fic especially in 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-07-25 22:29:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 25,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16206962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarsHunter06/pseuds/MarsHunter06
Summary: She loves him. She loves him not. It’s been ten years since the original total drama season. Courtney’s doing better than she ever was, so why is that after all this time, she still can’t forget him?There’s not a single day that passes where she doesn’t cross his mind. She’ll always be his day one. Ten years later and Duncan’s still trying to reforget.





	1. Wildest Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Some day when you leave me  
> I bet these memories follow you around

_ It’s a sunny day out. The light shining through the curtains stir her from her sleep. She opens her eyes, but does not get up. She feels content, dare she say, happy? Something she hasn’t felt in a long time. She blinks a few times, adjusting to the light. She turns her head to look at her clock. 9:03 AM. Did she sleep through her alarm? Seeing those numbers, she immediately starts to get up while scolding herself for oversleeping, but she finds she’s trapped. There’s someone else in the bed with her. She turns to face the body of warmth with both arms wrapped around her. How she didn’t notice this when she first awoke was a mystery. It’s not often that she has someone to wake up with. The first thing she notices is his hair. Jet black. Not a single trace of another color in them. The next thing she sees is what takes her breath away.  _

 

_ His eyes electrifyingly blue— looking into hers, “Morning Princess” he says with a smile.  _

 

_ She can’t help but smile back, “Morning Duncan.”  _

 

_ Her smile drops once she realizes what just happened. She moves away from his arms ignoring his whines. Sitting up, ready to jump out of bed when he stops her. _

 

_ “Hey, slow down. What’s your hurry?” _

 

_ She can’t help but start to yell. It is what’s normal to them after all. “What’s my hurry!?! Duncan it’s past 9 and I’m still in bed! I’m supposed to be at the shoot by 10! I can’t believe I forgot to set the alarm!” Her hand hits her forehead in frustration. _

 

_ “You didn’t forget. I turned the alarm off.” _

 

_ “You. What!?! Why would you do that!?!” She reaches for a pillow ready to hit him. Honestly it’s progress that she’s using a soft object. _

 

_ He grabs the pillow from her, making her even more angry. _

 

_ “Today’s Sunday, Courtney. Your shoot is on Monday… meaning tomorrow. Today’s your day off.” _

 

_ “Oh…” was the best thing she could muster up as she calmed down. _

 

_ “Yeah, ‘oh’… Now can we just chill out and go back to relaxing?” _

 

_ Normally she would roll her eyes, but over the years she’s mellowed out. She lies back down on the bed and takes a deep breath. She’s grateful that she has Duncan to let her sleep in and remind her that it’s okay to enjoy the moment sometimes. When she turns back to face him, he’s already looking at her with a goofy smile on his face. She can’t help but smile right back. _

 

_ “What are you smiling about?” _

 

_ “Nothing. Just that I’m really glad you’re still here when I wake up. Usually you’re off to your job.” _

 

_ She nods. It’s true, being a celebrity that’s well sought after is hard work. Especially with her new project. _

 

_ “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. What do you say we get some breakfast? Pancakes sound good?” he asks as he starts to get out of their bed. _

 

_ Courtney agrees, since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, plus it’s not everyday she gets to have Duncan cook for her. She sits up and is about to pull off the covers when she spots something that makes her stop. Duncan notices that she stopped moving. Concerned, he moves over to her. _

 

_ “Hey, what’s going on… are you crying? What happened? Don’t cry…” _

 

_ Duncan was now holding her in his arms, “I’ll beat up whoever is making you upset. Just say the words and I’ll do it.” _

 

_ She shakes her head, Courtney was in fact crying, but not because she was upset. She’s wearing a ring. A wedding band. She turns her head to look at him. He loves her. They’re married. If someone told her this five years ago, she would call them crazy and probably tell them to fuck off. _

 

_ “I’m not crying cause I’m sad, dummy. I just can’t believe that we’re actually married” she says, bringing up her left hand. _

 

_ He immediately relaxes, glad that he didn’t do anything wrong this time. He smiles and with his left hand covering hers, he says, “well believe it. It’s real. We’re together and you’re stuck with me till death do us part, Princess.” _

 

The alarm starts blaring. Courtney jolts from her sleep and immediately reaches over to shut the alarm off. It was a dream. She can’t help but feel disappointed now that she knows it wasn’t real. She glances down at her hand, no ring in sight. She sighs.

 

“Bad dream?”

 

She’s startled by the voice that comes from the other side of the bed. She sees black hair and familiar green eyes. She relaxes once she realized who was next to her.

 

“Actually the opposite.”

 

“Duncan?”

 

She just nods, “sorry for waking you. I forgot I set an alarm. It’s my day off, but it’s a force of habit.”

 

“Don’t worry about it, Court, I wasn’t supposed to stay over anyways.”

 

She rolls her eyes at that, “you practically live here when you’re not on tour, Trent. You’re always welcome.”

 

He chuckles, “Yeah I know, but I am touring right now, so I shouldn’t have stayed over.”

 

“It’s okay. We got carried away with songwriting last night, but you should go get ready if you wanna catch your flight.”

 

“Alright. I’m going. Tell me about the dream after though.”

 

She rolls her eyes again, “I swear sometimes I think you’re just using me for material.”

 

“Damn. You caught me. You’re too smart to be an actress, Court. You would’ve made a great lawyer.”

 

“I’ll have you know, I am a judge on national television, and I’m fantastic at it.”

 

“How could I forget? Judge Courtney. I tune in every Thursday morning.”

 

She smiles at that, “nice to know you’re still my biggest fan.”

 

He smiles back, “and you’re mine.”


	2. Cross My Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the days spent on my mind  
> All the times that I'd say that we'll be together, we'll be together

It’s spring of 2013, graduation season. Not that Duncan cares since he didn’t go to college, but he knows that  _ she _ did. He tells himself not to look, but he’s never been able to resist when it came to her. He looks her up on Facebook, surprised that she still hasn’t block him. Her latest update is of her in her graduation gown. She graduated top of her class— of course— from Harvard, with a degree in law. Just like she always told him she would. He smiles seeing her achieve her dream. He’s proud of her. He starts to look through the comments on congratulating her, and he almost types one himself before he realizes that she probably wouldn’t want to see it. He didn’t want to ruin her special day, so he doesn’t post the comment. He closes the webpage instead and pulls up a word document. There he writes all the things he’s wanted to tell her.

 

It’s winter of 2014 when he hears from DJ what happened. Courtney’s mom passed away from cancer. He couldn’t believe it at first. She was always so alive and healthy. How did it happen? He immediately opens up his laptop to check her Facebook page. Sure enough, the last update says it all. “Rest in Peace, Mommy. I love you with all my heart and I miss you already.” Comments flood her post. Everyone sending her love and offering support. Duncan logs out of the page and turns off the screen. He doesn’t send her anything. He knows that it would hurt her more. She hated when people pitied her. It made her feel weak, and she was anything but weak. He wonders if she’s huddled under her blanket, hugging her pillow, wishing it was all a nightmare. He bets that she’s trying to sleep all the pain away, but it doesn’t work. Instead she gets up and goes out to the highest point she can get to. The closer to the stars, the better. There she sits in silence, just listening to the world continue on even though she just lost a huge part of her own. She doesn’t say anything– doesn’t cry or yell. That’s when Duncan worries about her the most; when she becomes robotic and unresponsive. Courtney’s tough though, she’ll take this one night and bury her pain. After that she’ll put up her walls. Only letting them down when she visits her mother’s grave. When she’s sure there’s no one there besides her and her mom. That’s when she’ll cry and vent to her, telling her how she really feels. How much she misses her and that she wishes she was here for all of her achievements. He can picture her doing all of these things. Even though when they were together she never showed him this side of her, he always knew. She tried to hide her feelings and tried to act tough, but deep down, she was a broken little girl who just needed love. He knows her better than she knows herself sometimes.

 

He normally stayed away from any news of her, but he knows he has to reach out this time. She may not want anything to do with him, but he knows he can help. He’s so sure that he turns the screen back on, ready to message her, but it seems fate has other plans. It’s only been a few hours, but she’s deactivated her page.

 

Fall of 2015 is when it starts again. He was over at Gwen’s house, channel surfing. They remained good friends despite their breakup. She never did hold a grudge towards him because always knew he wasn’t over Courtney, and sure it hurt, but they were always better off as friends.

 

Duncan throws the remote down on the couch after failing to find a show to watch. There was nothing on.

 

Gwen was about to suggest looking through Netflix when it starts: “‘Celebrity Gossip’ with your hosts, Heather and Alejandro!” 

 

Duncan and Gwen both roll their eyes, but they don’t change the channel… Big mistake. Heather and Alejandro introduce their first guest who was none other than Courtney. Duncan widens his eyes and keeps them glued on the screen. He doesn’t hear what they’re talking about. All he can focus on is that he’s seeing her again. She looks good… still as beautiful as the day they met. Her style has changed and she’s smiling a lot more. God he’s missed her smile. Before he knew it, the segment was over and Courtney was no longer on the screen. She was replaced by Trent. Gwen turns the T.V off, prompting Duncan to blurt out a bunch of questions.

 

“What is she doing on the gossip channel? Since when did she start trusting Heather and Alejandro of all people? Why did she look like she was actually enjoying herself?”

 

“Well if you were listening to their conversation, Courtney is starting her acting career. Heather and her have actually gotten really close over the years. She’s even invited to their wedding.”

 

“Wait… they’re friends?!”

 

Gwen lets out a sigh, “Yeah, they are. Best friends. Heather surprisingly grew a heart and helped Courtney get out of her slump after her mom’s death.”

 

“And how do you know that?”

 

Gwen almost didn’t want to answer… “It’s all over instagram…”

 

“Instagram?? And you never told me?!”

 

“Why would I? Last time we talked, you told me to keep you away from her. That it was for her own good.”

 

He did say that. To be fair, he was drunk…

 

“Look Duncan, it’s obviously not working. Just talk to her, try to win her back.”

 

He shakes his head, “No. She doesn’t want anything to do with me. She made that clear the last time we saw each other.”

 

They both drop the subject and they go back to normal. Duncan doesn’t mention Courtney again. He doesn’t even try looking her up. This time, he would finally be done. He was determined to move on.

 

He makes it all the way to the summer of 2016 before she consumes his mind again. To be fair, it’s kind of hard to forget your ex when all the advertisements around you have her face on it. After a couple years of hard work, she’s finally done it. She’s famous. She has a new show. She’s modeling for Gucci and Prada. She’s been all over the magazines. She has interviews with all the late night shows and she’s rumored to star in a movie soon. This time he doesn’t even think about reaching out to her. He does everything he can to avoid her. Even though they live in two different countries now. He’s still in Canada and she’s in New York or LA. He isn’t keeping tabs anymore. He just wants to move on, but he’s a liar– there’s no moving on from her. Not when she’s constantly on his mind.

 

2017: a new year. Maybe this will be the year Duncan can forget about her… he tells himself this every year, but it never works. There’s no way anyone could forget Courtney.


	3. Reforget

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't wanna be a ghost  
> But you pushed me over and over  
> Never thought I’d have a vice  
> Other than you, over and over

Courtney had just wrapped her new movie with Justin, _Love at Hindsight_. She returns home to find her letters on the counter. She starts to sort through them. She got some fan mail forwarded to her address and that makes her smile. She decides to read the them later. Some bills and junk are next. She sets up automatic payments, so she doesn’t worry about those. Lastly is an envelope with just her name on it. No return address. Strange? She opens it:

“Total Drama Original Cast Reunion!” As part of the original cast member, you have been invited to the ten year anniversary of the first season. No need to RSVP. What else could you possibly have planned besides this?

 

She stops reading after that. As if she would waste her time on something like this. She just wrapped a big movie production. She doesn’t need this to be famous. She crumples the letter and tosses it into the trash can. She decides to go back to her fan mail, but before she opens the first one, she’s interrupted by some text messages. She sees that Bridgette, Heather, Justin, and Trent have texted her. All at the same time. She knows they’re going to ask about the reunion. She answers them in order.

 

Bridgette: Courtney! Did you get the letter? We’re having a reunion next month! Tell me you’re going! Please please please!

 

Courtney: Hey Bridge, I did get it and you should already know that I’m not going to go.

 

Bridgette: What!? But you have to! It’s our ten years! Plus everyone will want you there!

 

Courtney: Not everyone. I didn’t have friends there. No one liked me that much. I’m not you.

 

Bridgette: That’s nonsense! You have friends and you know exactly who I’m talking about.

Unless… you’re still worried about Duncan…

 

Courtney: Please. I don’t even think about him anymore. I just don’t want to go. Besides, I’m gonna be busy. I have projects to run.

 

Bridgette: Okay fine, but we both know you’re lying. Take a break, Court! You work so hard, and I know you just got done with your movie. You couldn’t wait to be done working with Justin.

 

Courtney: I was thinking of taking on another role. I won’t have time.

 

Bridgette: Fine. We’ll talk about this in person. You’re still coming down to Hawaii next week right? You promised!

 

Courtney: Of course I am! I haven’t seen you in months. It’s time to do some catching up. I wouldn’t miss that for the world.

 

Bridgette: Aww! I love you Court! I’ve missed you so much! We have so much to talk about! I can’t wait till you’re here!

 

Courtney: Love you too Bridge. We’ll talk soon.

 

She opens the next text and was about to respond Heather, but it seems she lost her patience. She was getting a call from her instead.

 

“Finally you answered! What took you so long? You should have been home hours ago.”

 

“Hello to you too, Heather.”

 

“Yeah, whatever. Anyways, you know why I’m calling. We need to go shopping soon. I need a new outfit for the reunion.”

 

“About that…”

 

“No way. You’re going. You’re not getting out of this Courtney. It’s been ten years!”

 

“Heather, I just don’t have the time.”

 

“You’re such a bad liar. You would think that you would’ve learned something from me by now.”

 

“I’m not lying…”

 

“Really…?”

 

“Okay I know you don’t believe me. I just don’t wanna go Heather.”

 

“Why not? It’s not everyday we get to see everyone.”

 

“Why do you want to go? You hated everyone there.”

 

“That’s so not true. I didn’t hate you. Which is exactly why you need to go.”

 

“Heather…”

 

“Let’s not turn this back on me. We all know the real reason why you don’t want to go.”

 

“Why do you and Bridgette both keep bringing up Duncan? He’s not the reason why I don’t wanna go.”

 

“I never said his name.”

 

“Crap... Okay fine. I’m still not going.”

 

“Courtney it’s been ten years. You need to get over him. He’s not even that great. Trent is a much better choice.”

 

“It’s only been five years since I last saw him, and I _am_ over him. Trent and I are just friends. You know that.”

 

“You two don’t have to be. Everyone else in Hollywood thinks you two are together.”

 

“You really need to stop letting that gossip channel get to your head.”

 

“And you really need to… *Crash*”

 

“What was that?”

 

“Alejandro! What did you do!?! I gotta go, but we are not done with this discussion!”

 

Thank goodness she was rescued. Courtney knows that Heather has a way of forcing her to do things she doesn’t want to. She’s the reason that Courtney decided to come back into the spotlight.

 

She decides to take a break and read through some fan mail. This should get her mind off the reunion. The first few are sweet, telling her how much she inspires them and that they love her. She smiles and makes a list reminding her to make a post about them. The next letter she opens up is from a Justin fangirl:

 

“Courtney! You are so lucky to be working with Justin! He is just so dreamy *sigh. Anyways, I know everyone likes you with Trent, but don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. I know that you and Justin are secretly dating. I remember when your romance blossomed on Total Drama Action. I’m so happy that you two are finally together!”

 

Courtney can’t help but think that this fan is delusional. She really doesn’t know where that came from. What romance? Just because they were starring in a rom-com together didn’t mean that they were an item. Besides, during the second season, she was still totally crazy about… she stops her thought. Not again. She sighs. She decides to reply Justin.

 

Justin: Hey Courtney, we’ve been spending a lot of time together lately, so I figure it’s only right that we go to the reunion together.

 

Courtney: Hello, Justin. You know the reason why we’ve been spending time is because we’re the leads of the movie right?

 

Justin: Lol, you’re so funny Court. That’s all the more reason we should go together. To promote the movie.

 

Courtney: Don’t call me that. My name’s Courtney. Besides, I’m going to be busy with post movie production.

 

Justin: Okay, Courtney. If you change your mind, you have my number. By the way, I’m going to be wearing blue for the reunion.

 

She doesn’t respond to that. She decides to go back to the fanmail. Thankfully the rest of them were for her. She smiles as she reads them. She has some really amazing fans.

 

She finally gets to the last one:

 

Dear Courtney,

 

I don’t know if you actually read these, but hi! I just wanted to thank you. I love watching Judge Courtney every week. You know the law and you make sure that justice is served. I’m also really excited to see that you’re going to be in a movie! Though I’m not sure they casted your male lead correctly (no offense of course). I’m sure your acting will outshine any flaws. I’m a big fan of your work, as you can probably tell, but I gotta say, it’s because of how you handled your relationship with Duncan that truly made me admire you. I know it’s been ages and you two probably don’t talk anymore, but I want you to know that I totally support your decision to cut him from your life. He wasn’t right for you. Look how successful you are now! Thanks to you, I was able to end it with my own boyfriend. We love each other, but we know that we didn’t fit. You gave me the courage to break it off. Besides, he was still in love with his ex.

P.S 

No one deserves to be treated wrong.

-G

 

She puts the letter down. She doesn’t know what to think. It was for the best. They really weren’t meant to make it. She really is doing better, but memories of their last conversation soon floods her mind.

 

_Five years ago_

 

_Courtney walks through the jailhouse. It’s no longer a foreign place to her. She’s been here too many times and it was always because of him. This time was no different. She takes a seat in the visitor area and waits for him to be brought over. He spots her immediately and smiles. He’s takes a seat opposite her._

 

_“I knew you couldn’t stay away from me Princess.”_

 

_“That’s not my name. You’re not allowed to call me that anymore.”_

 

_He frowns and tries reaching for her. She’s doesn’t let him. He doesn’t push it— for once. He crosses his arms and leans back on his chair._

 

_“What are you doing here anyways? Shouldn’t you be finishing up college? The show’s over.”_

 

_“Honestly… I don’t know what I’m doing here. Maybe it’s an instinct now. I’m used to bailing you out.”_

 

_“You don’t have to anymore.”_

 

_She nods, “I know, and I’m not going to this time. I guess I just had to see you one last time.”_

 

_“It doesn’t have to be the last time.”_

 

_“Duncan, I’m not going to wait for you. Besides, what’s the point?”_

 

_He reaches for her and grabs her hand, “you don’t mean that.”_

 

_“... but I do. What are we doing? We’re just going to end up hurting each other again. It’s a vicious cycle. You won’t change and I can’t change.”_

 

_“Who says we can’t change?”_

 

_She meets his eyes, his hands still holding hers, “do you even want to?”_

 

_He doesn’t miss a beat, “yes.” He’s so sure of it. “Courtney, you’re it for me. I’ve never felt this way about anyone else. You being here right now is a sign.”_

 

_“I’m only here to say goodbye.”_

 

_She pulls her hand away. He was losing her. Maybe for the last time._

 

_“I’m going to prove it to you, Princess. I’m going to get out of here and turn my life around.”_

 

_“You’ve said this before. I don’t know that I can trust you.”_

 

_“You can trust me.”_

 

_She shakes her head, “no, I really can’t.”_

 

_Those were the last words she said to him. She stands up and walks away. She walks out of his life and that was the last time they saw each other._

 

Was she right? Doubts swirl in her mind. She’s Courtney, of course she’s right. She needed to talk to someone, so she turns to one person who knows exactly how she felt. She opens her phone to text back Trent.

 

Trent: Hey, did you hear about the reunion?

 

Courtney: Are you busy?

 

Trent: Just got back to the hotel, I’ll facetime you.

 

Reasons like this was when she really appreciated Trent. He was always there for her. She accepts his FaceTime and he looks tired, but he has a smile on his face.

 

“Hey, what’s going on?”

 

“I’m just overthinking again. I need a distraction. How was the show?”

 

They spend the next half hour talking about his show in Chicago and how Courtney wishes she was there. She promises to be at his New York show though.

 

“Wait, the New York show is the same night as the reunion. You should go to that instead, Court.”

 

“You’re not even going to be there Trent, what’s the point?”

 

He laughs, “We’re not a packaged deal like Katie and Sadie. We don’t have to go together.”

 

“I know, but it would just be easier if you were going.”

 

“Yeah. I probably wouldn’t go either if I knew you couldn’t make it.”

 

“Exactly. I’d rather be at your concert.”

 

“Does that mean you’ll finally take the stage with me?”

 

“Don’t push your luck, Trent. Besides our song isn’t even done yet.”

 

“I can just serenade you. Everyone knows I wrote a song about you anyways.”

 

“That would not help the rumors.”

 

“Fair point. We could sing a cover together then. Everyone loves those. You should see the views on my instagram the few times we’ve done that.”

 

“I’ll think about it...”

 

“So, what’s really bothering you, Court?”

 

“I was hoping you forgot.”

“Did you have another dream?”

 

“No. Well yes, but that’s not what was bothering me. I got a fan letter from this girl. She thanked me for helping her get out of her unhealthy relationship with her boyfriend. She said that they loved each other, but they’re not right for each other… and I guess… it just hit home.”

 

“Yeah… I understand.”

 

“I know you do. You’re the only one I can talk to about this.”

 

“I’m always here for you.”

 

She takes a deep breath, “you know, sometimes I wonder what happened after he got out of jail.”

 

“Did he ever find out that you’re the one who sent him the lawyer?”

 

“No. I made his mom promise to never tell him.”

 

“He’s lucky you did. That lawyer got him off easy.”

 

“Yeah. I just hope he never needed him again.”

 

“I don’t keep tabs on him, but I haven’t heard that he’s gotten into more trouble. That’s gotta mean something.”

 

“You think he’s changed…?”

 

“People can change Courtney. You did, so why can’t he?”

——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Duncan! Is that you bro? Long time no see!”

 

“Geoff? Man yeah! It’s been a while! What are you doing back in Canada? I thought you and Malibu moved down to Hawaii.”

 

“We did. I’m just here to help prep for the reunion. Bridgette is coming in later in the week. Someone’s gotta watch the store. You’re coming right?”

 

“Nah. Not really my thing.”

 

“If you’re worried about Courtney going, you don’t have to. I don’t think she’s going to show.”

 

“I don’t worry about her anyways. I could care less if she went.”

 

“Dude, come on! It’ll be fun! Like old times! You gotta go!”

 

“It won’t be like old times if we’re not all going.”

Even though they hadn’t talked in a few years, Geoff got the hint.

 

“Alright. I get it. I’ll talk to Bridgette. We’ll make sure she goes. She won’t be able to say no if we all ask.”

 

Duncan doesn’t say anything. He just nods, but before they part ways, he tells Geoff thanks.


	4. The Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... This is the only chapter that doesn't have a song as the title, but if I had to pick a song I'd go with this:
> 
> Forget me not, I hope you forget me not  
> Remember all the things we've got, going on between us oh oh  
> She loves me  
> She loves me not

It’s 2017, ten years after Total Drama Island was first broadcasted. Naturally there had to be a reunion special to catch up on the original cast and what they were up to now. Chris went all out for the occasion, no, seriously, he rented out a huge mansion to host the event. After torturing these poor kids for five seasons, he finally decided to do something nice for them at their ten year anniversary. Everyone from the original cast was invited, with a couple exceptions as Alejandro and Sierra were allowed to come. Alejandro and Heather were a package deal, especially after their marriage and the success of hosting a gossip channel. Sierra, on the other hand, was just a massive fangirl/stalker so she was able to pinpoint when and where the reunion would take place. Everyone was in attendance. Well, almost everyone…

 

Chris: Welcome, everyone, to the Ten Year Reunion of Total! Drama! Island! We have the whole cast in attendance!

Chef: Not everyone Chris..

Chris: What!? What do you mean not everyone? Who would miss out on this opportunity!?

Chef: Did you forget that some of these kids have gotten more famous than you?

Chris: That’s absurd! Everyone knows I’m the most famous and attractive person here.

Heather, Alejandro, and Justin all roll their eyes and mutter their own thoughts about who was actually the most attractive.

Noah: Chris you’re old news now. No one pays attention to you anymore. We all know the only reason you planned the reunion was to get back into the spotlight.

Chris: Like I would ever stoop that low.

Chef: Well, you’ve done worse. Remember when you sabotaged Blanely on her new show Love it or Hate it?

Sierra: Or the time you interrupted Owen’s interview on his new weight loss. Now we’ll never know how he was able to lose five whole pounds!

Bridgette: How about when I won that surfing competition in Hawaii and you tried to host the award ceremony?

Beth: Oooo! And the time that Lindsey and I…

Chris: Enough! We get it. *tears up a little* You kids actually do care. You kept tabs on me this whole time.

Lindsey: Um… Chris, I don’t think…

Chris: Moving on! So who are we missing anyways? Let’s see… Everyone seems to be here. There’s DJ, Gwen, Owen, Izzy, Noah, Tyler, Harold, LaShawna, Justin, Lindsey, Katie and Sadie, Heather, Cody, Duncan…

Sierra: Courtney’s not here!

Chris: How did I forget? Of course! I thought it was quieter here. Where is she anyways?

Sierra: Where isn’t she? She’s been all over the magazines! *pulls them out of thin air like a magician to prove her point* She’s Hollywood’s rising star! Her new TV show Judge Courtney is a huge success and she’s even in a movie with Justin! That’s why she said she couldn’t be here due to wrapping up the movie.

Chris: Okay… then why is Justin here?

Justin: Oh. We wrapped the movie a month ago. You guys should be seeing the promotions for it soon. Courtney and I will be doing press tours. Maybe she’s preparing for that.

Heather: I think we all know the real reason why she isn’t here.

 

Everyone looks at Duncan, who just glared at them.

 

Duncan: Whatever. It’s not like I wanted to see her anyways.

Gwen: I really thought she would be over it by now.

Sierra: Oh! And Trent isn’t here either! He’s on tour after going solo from the Drama Brothers, he’s had three number one singles and a brand new album!

Gwen: yeah… that’s… great for him…

Chris: Great, so now we’re down two cast members.

Sierra: Oh, don’t worry Chris. Trent said he would video chat us after his concert. He’s in New York City right now. His set is almost done. I’ve been live streaming it!

Chris *shrugs*: I guess that’s better than nothing. Alright, on with the show!

 

Chris proceeds to catch the viewers up on what the cast have been doing. Lindsey is a model now, and so is Justin. Though the latter is making his first appearance on the big screen. Harold is a university professor. Everyone knows Heather and Alejandro are big Hollywood reality stars. Bridgette and Geoff are married and run a surf and party shop together. DJ is a chef. Izzy is well… no one really knows what she does. Gwen is working for a nonprofit whose mission is to create a greener earth. Chris was about to get to Duncan when suddenly, Sierra screeches.

 

Sierra: Guys! Trent is calling! Everyone come over!

 

It’s been a while since anyone has had any contact with Trent, so everyone crowds around the TV screen to say hello.

 

Trent: Hey Guys! I just got back to the hotel room. Long time no see! It’s been too long!

Geoff: It’s been way too long bro! Wish you were down here with us though!

Trent: Haha, yeah. Sorry. Had I known earlier I would have scheduled the tour around our reunion.

Sierra: You were amazing Trent! I watched the whole thing on my phone!

Trent: Thanks Sierra! I had a lot of fun. The crowd was great.

 

Suddenly, a brunette barges into the room without knocking.

 

Courtney: Hey Trent, have you seen…

Everyone in unison: Courtney!

Courtney: um… hey everyone…

 

Duncan can’t help but look at her through the screen. Her hair is longer and she’s dressed casually, wearing a black tee with a white triangle in the middle… but before he can further study her features. He realizes that she’s not actually here, instead she’s with Trent.

 

Duncan: Why the hell are you with Trent!?!

 

Courtney was busy answering everyone’s hello’s before being startled by her ex yelling at her.

 

Courtney: I don’t think that’s any of your business Duncan. Why do you care anyways?

Duncan: I don’t care! I just feel bad for the guy that’s all!

Courtney: What!?! I’ll have you know, I’m great company to be around! You should be lucky that I’m even speaking to you after what you did!

Duncan: Still can’t forget about me can you, Princess?

Courtney: Don’t call me that!

 

Trent butts in, breaking up the fight.

 

Trent: Hey Court, don’t let him rile you up. He's doing it on purpose.

Duncan: Court!?! You let him call you that? You were always pissed if I tried to shorten your name!

Sierra: Oh. My. Gosh! Are we witnessing actual Trentney right now???

Gwen and Duncan: Trentney!?!

Sierra: Yeah! They are Hollywood’s most beloved couple! Look! *pulls out a bunch of magazines with their faces on the cover* Everyone is rooting for them to get together. Look at how sweet they are!

 

Trent and Courtney both blush.

 

Courtney: These rumors need to stop. Trent and I are just friends. We’re not together.

Trent: Yeah guys. It’s not real.

Sierra: Wait? Does that mean Courtney isn’t the inspiration behind “Just a Friend” and that you two aren’t working on a song together?

Trent: Well, okay, yeah that song is about Courtney and we _are_ writing a song together.

Beth: I knew it! Tyler, you owe me five bucks!

Tyler: Ah man!

Courtney: Okay that still doesn’t mean anything. We’re both artists and we just happen to be collaborating.

Duncan: Sure. If that’s the word you’re gonna use.

Courtney: You know what…

Trent: Hey! Stop it! Duncan, Courtney and I are not in a relationship. Please everyone just stop talking about this.

Courtney: I’m just gonna go. I’ll come back after you’re done talking to them.

Bridgette: Wait Courtney! But we want you here too!

Heather: Yeah, you just got here and you’re gonna let that delinquent drive you away?

Courtney: I see you two all the time. Besides I really need to get to sleep.

 

She walks out of the room a bit distraught.

 

Izzy: What are you two doing together anyways?

Trent: I’m at Courtney’s apartment. She went to my concert and I’m just spending the night here before I go to the next stop in Philadelphia.

Sierra: She was at the concert! That’s why she’s wearing your merch!

Trent: Yeah. Alright guys, it’s been nice catching up, but I should go check on Courtney. I’ll see you guys next time!

 

Everyone disperses and continues with what they’re doing. Duncan meanwhile heads straight to the bar.

 

——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Trent opens his door and walks over to Courtney’s room. “Knock knock, hey. You doing okay?”

 

Courtney gives a small smile, “yeah, I’m fine. You didn’t need to check on me. You could’ve stayed on the phone with them longer.”

 

Trent chuckles, “I think I’ve had enough of them for tonight. Sorry, I should’ve told you I was going to do a video chat with them.”

 

She shakes her head, “no, I should’ve knocked before I barged in. I forgot the reunion was tonight.”

 

Trent walks over to sit on her bed next to her. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

 

She plays dumb, “about what?”

 

“You know what.”

 

“There’s nothing to talk about… I just can’t believe the nerve of him! Saying that stuff to me as if he owns me! I just… God Trent. I’m so pathetic. I can’t believe I still let him get to me. It’s been five years since we last saw each other.”

 

“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up over it. You guys had a lot of history. It’s okay to not be over him.”

 

“Yeah, but so did you and Gwen. And you’re over her.”

 

He smiles, “that’s different. Gwen and I weren’t as serious as you two were. Plus we weren’t together for as long as you guys.”

 

She rolls her eyes, “Please. We were on and off for years. We were together just as long as you and Gwen.”

 

“Alright, fair enough, but we were still never as in love as you two were.”

 

“You remember things way differently than I do. We weren’t in love. We were kids. We were doomed to begin with. Two polar opposites.”

 

“Okay, then tell me why you’re still not over him.”

 

Courtney doesn’t answer. She knows he’s right. She shouldn’t try to downplay what happened between her and Duncan.

 

They stay silent for a little bit before Trent speaks, “Why don’t you just give him a second chance?”

 

“Psh. I’ve given him more chances than I can count. It’s never worth the heartache… Why do you want me to go back to him anyways?”

 

Trent looks her in the eyes and grabs her hand, “it’s not that I want you two to get back together. I don’t even like the guy that much. I just want you to be happy, Court. Besides, we all know he’s still crazy about you.”

 

He lets go of her hand. She leans back against her headboard, “how could I ever trust him again? I’d be crazy to go back.”

 

Trent stands up to leave, but before he can open the door, she asks him a question.

 

“Would you give Gwen another chance?”

 

He hesitates for a only second, then answers, “no, I wouldn’t.”

 

“That’s what I thought. Goodnight Trent.”

 

“Goodnight Courtney.”

 

——————————————————————---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Duncan is drunk and brooding. He tried and failed to drink the thoughts of Courtney away. Again. Geoff comes over to find Duncan a mess.

 

“Come on dude. You gotta put that down. It’s not helping.”

 

“I don’t need help.”

 

Bridgette shows up shortly after, “Geoff’s right, Duncan. You’re only going to get a hangover.”

 

Duncan ignores them and continues to finish his drink. Before he can pour another glass, he’s interrupted by Heather.

 

“Pathetic. No wonder she won’t take you back. I don’t know why she doesn’t just get with Trent already. They’re a much better couple in my opinion— he actually treats her right.”

 

Duncan fumes at her voice and glares at her. It doesn’t bother Heather in the slightest.

 

“Don’t listen to her, Duncan. Courtney isn’t interested in Trent. You don’t have to worry about that,” Bridgette reasons.

 

That doesn’t stop Heather though, “I really don’t know what she still sees in you.”

 

“She doesn’t see anything in me. If she did, she would be here instead of making a stupid excuse about shooting a wrapped project.”

 

Gwen chooses now to reveal herself from the corner of the room, “Duncan, why don’t you try to win her back? You’re clearly still hung up on her… even after all these years.”

 

“You think I haven’t tried? I’ve tried everything, but she doesn’t want anything do with me.”

 

Heather scoffs, “you clearly haven’t tried hard enough. You really think that just apologizing to her is going to fix everything? You broke her trust, Duncan— on national television! You humiliated her. She was distraught after you left then you come back and betray her? Why would she want anything to do with you?”

 

Bridgette chimes in, “Heather’s right, Duncan. You need to regain Courtney’s trust if you want to have her back in your life.”

 

Duncan sighs, “and how do you supposed I do that?”

 

Heather rolls her eyes, “we’re not gonna give you all the answers, Genius. You have to figure that out yourself.”

 

Gwen glares at Heather, “what Heather is trying to say is: that you know Courtney better than any of us. You know what she likes.”

 

Geoff adds, “Dude, just show her that you’ve changed. You turned your life around for her. She would dig that.”

 

Heather turns to leave, then adds, “You better hurry before someone else tries to take her away from you.”

 

“Great. Who do I have to worry about now?”

 


	5. Location Unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Traveling places I ain’t seen you in ages  
> But I hope you come back to me  
> My mind’s running wild with you faraway  
> I still think of you a hundred times a day

Courtney doesn’t end up watching the reunion special. She doesn’t need the distraction. At least, that’s what she tells herself. She reasons that she has more important things, like a press tour, to worry about, so she doesn’t watch the anniversary special. She doesn’t get to see Duncan in a bad mood because she’s not there. She pretends that she didn’t know he was jealous after finding out that she was with Trent instead of with him at the reunion. She ignores her friends when they tell her that he was sulking the rest of the night—that he refused to participate, choosing to drink instead. She chooses to focus on promoting her movie, but Justin doesn’t make it easy.

 

“Hey Courtney, you should sit on my right. That way when I turn to look at you the camera catches my good side.”

 

“Why would you be looking at me? We’re going to be answering some fan questions, so you should be facing forward.”

 

“To play up our relationship and obvious connection of course! The fans will love it.”

 

“We don’t have a relationship, Justin.”

 

“Not yet, but just like our characters, Hannah and Harry, we will.”

 

Courtney rolls her eyes and decides to ignore him. She purposely pulls out the chair to Justin’s left and sits down. She would move further away, but unfortunately, her contract says that she has to be next to him during interviews. Sadly, he doesn’t get the hint and it does nothing to deter him.

 

He smiles at her, “you’re right Courtney. I don’t have a bad side, so it doesn’t matter where you sit.”

 

She face palms, this interview couldn’t be over any sooner.

 

Her schedule has been packed for the last few months. She’s been traveling all over the world to promote this movie and she’s exhausted. She doesn’t even have time to enjoy the scenery, let alone remember which country they’re in. This is just like being on Total Drama World Tour again— crap.

 

She really shouldn’t be thinking about that. It seems the past has come back to haunt her; she still gets questions about the show occasionally. As soon as she realized that they were in Greece, she knew that today was going to be brutal. She just _knows_ that one of the interviewers will ask about Duncan. This is where she found out about his betrayal after all. She shakes the thought away, it’s time to face the crowd.

——————————————————————--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gwen can not believe that she’s actually here, in Greece, right now. The things she does for Duncan. Once they were able to figure out where the next press tour location would be, he asked her to go. She doesn’t even know why he didn’t just come here himself. Courtney would be understanding _right_? Truth be told, she wasn't so sure. From the way she ignored him on All Stars… maybe Duncan’s lost his chance.

 

Cameras start flashing and for a second, Gwen thinks that she’s been recognized. But thankfully it was just for Courtney and Justin as they were making their way on the stage to answer questions from the media. Courtney has a bright smile on as she takes a seat on Justin’s left. Even Gwen could tell that the smile was fake. She doesn’t look well rested at all. Gwen can’t help but feel bad, she knows that this place brings back bad memories for her.

 

The Q&A starts off smoothly. The press asked about their roles and how they felt they connected with the different characters. Justin surprisingly does well in answering the questions. Though, Gwen could see that Justin was trying to play up the loved up couple while Courtney wanted nothing to do with it. She would let him make contact and laugh at his jokes, but nothing beyond that. She was doing well with the questions, even relaxing a little— that is… until the questions started straying from the movie and they were all directed towards Courtney.

 

“So Courtney, how does it feel to be back in Greece after all these years?”

 

She tenses up. Justin puts a comforting hand on her back, “it’s a beautiful country. I wish I could stay longer to actually explore it.”

 

“Really? That’s interesting. Even though this is where you were humiliated on international television?”

 

“That’s all in the past now. We’re here to talk about the movie and I would appreciate it if we could stay on topic.”

 

“So does this mean you’re completely over the bad boy type?”

 

This reporter was obviously here to stir up drama. Courtney was getting angry, and she needed to calm down. She was done being manipulated by the media, so she takes a deep breath and counts to nine. This was something Trent taught her to do when she was stressed. It helped him and he thought it would help her too. The press notices this and immediately asks her about it.

 

“Courtney! Are you counting to nine? This has to do with Trent right? Are you two official?”

 

Gwen couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. She knows they’re just friends, but still…

 

Courtney frowns, “Trent and I are just friends. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you guys this.”

 

“You’re picking up his habits though! That has to mean something!”

 

Feeling annoyed and excluded, Justin decides now is the perfect opportunity to make an announcement, “attention everyone! Courtney and I are dating, so please stop asking her about Trent.”

 

The media goes wild at this news and starts bombarding them with questions.

 

“How did it happen?”

 

“Was it on set?”

 

“How long has this been going on?”

 

“What about Trent and Monica?”

 

Courtney stands up and takes the microphone yelling at everyone to shut up.

 

“I’m only going to say this once. After this, I’m leaving. Trent and I are just friends. Justin and I are NOT dating.”

 

Everyone quiets down except for one lone voice, “what about Duncan?”

 

Confused, Courtney starts, “what? What about…”

 

That’s when she sees him, and he’s walking towards the stage. He’s walking to her.

 

“... Duncan…”

 

She couldn’t believe her eyes. Either she was losing it or he was really here.

 

She wasn’t crazy, standing right in front of her was the man she had been trying so hard to let go of. She doesn’t know what to think. Luckily for her, the media goes wild once again, this time their attention was on Duncan. He hadn’t been seen by the public since All Stars until the reunion. Everyone was dying to know what happened to their favorite bad boy.

 

“Where have you been?”

 

“What are you doing here? Are you here to win Courtney back?”

 

“What do you think about seeing your ex girlfriend after all these years?”

 

While Duncan is trying to get away from the press, his eyes meet Courtney’s. This snaps her out of her thoughts and she immediately runs off the stage, leaving him with this mess.

——————————————————————---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gwen is shocked that Duncan was here the whole time. She was going to kill him after she gets him away from those vultures.

 

She shouts, “oh my gosh! Is that Trent over there running away with Courtney?”

 

The media immediately starts running towards where Gwen was pointing. This gives the two of them time to leave. Once they’re in the car with DJ, Gwen starts asking questions.

 

“What the heck was that Duncan?! Are you an idiot?! Why did you have me come over here if you were going to show up anyways!?”

 

“Okay… maybe I didn’t think this through.”

 

“You think?!”

 

“Okay chill out Gwen. We’re all okay now.”

 

She sighs, “why did you do that?”

 

“I don’t know, okay. I guess I just couldn’t stay away. Everyone kept asking her about Trent, then Justin says they’re dating, and I just lost it. I needed to know if she still cared about me.”

 

“So you choose to ask her in from of a bunch of cameras while she’s trying to promote her movie.”

 

“Like I said. I didn’t think this through.”

 

DJ speaks up, “I wonder how Courtney’s feeling. She must feel awful.”

 

This makes Duncan shut up. DJ’s right. She must feel terrible and it was his fault, _again_.

——————————————————————----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing Courtney does when she gets back to the hotel room is call Trent. She knows that he was live-streaming the Q&A. He was the only one she could talk to. She needed help sorting out what just happened. She sees his familiar green eyes and calms down a bit.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hey yourself, I saw what happened.”

 

She lets out her frustrations, “I can’t believe he was there Trent! And of all places he chooses to show up in Greece! I bet he did that on purpose! Asshole! God I don’t know what I ever saw in him! Ugh, he’s ruining everything… why is he here… why now…”

 

“Look I don’t know Duncan very well and I’m not his biggest fan, but I don’t think he did it to be spiteful. He’s been away from the media all this time and now he all of a sudden shows up again? I think he’s here for you. Sure he could have picked a better time and place, but no one ever said he was smart.”

 

“I really thought that, five years ago, when I walked out of his life I would never see him again. He never tried reaching out before, so why now?”

 

“That, I don’t know. He’s not easy to understand.”

 

“I thought I understood him…”

 

“Maybe you still do… tell me, Courtney, why is he here?”


	6. Blind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You and me, forever love, forever 'cause  
> You and me, we've seen it all, the worst is done  
> We'll be strong as rock no matter what  
> Love please, don't leave me hung, leave me behind  
> Just say the word and let me be  
> You've broken me  
> Please say the word so I'll be free  
> I'm better off lonely

He really messed up again. Things definitely did not go as planned. Granted, he didn’t have much of a plan to begin with. It was pretty much: figure out where she’s going to be, go there, and find a way to talk to her. Unfortunately, he let his emotions get in the way and he ended up confronting her in front of a bunch of cameras. He’s worked so hard keeping away from the media. No one even noticed him in the room, but as soon as he saw her, he lost his mind.

 

Honestly, he kept his cool a lot longer than he thought. As soon as that _bitchy_ reporter started pressing Courtney about being in Greece he wanted— _needed_ — to do something, but he kept his mouth shut. He needed to calm down first so that he could talk to her alone without everyone being there. But that plan went out the window when he noticed how close she _really_ was to Trent. He hated the idea that she could be with someone else. Especially someone who might be better for her though… he wouldn’t blame her. Okay, maybe at first, but he knows he was the one at fault. The biggest mistake he made was not winning her back. Now, he’s going to have to pay for it.

 

DJ, Duncan, and Gwen head back to Canada. They decided to go home and figure out what the next move should be— if there should even be a next move. Duncan is a mess and he’s not sure how to go about fixing the problem he just made; and Gwen is also pretty shaken up about the incident even though she tries to hide it. This leaves DJ to talk some sense into Duncan.

 

“Duncan, man, I’m sure she’ll understand.”

 

“If it was you maybe, but I don’t exactly have a clean record when it comes to hurting her.”

 

“That might be true, but she loves you. She would forgive you.”

 

“Loved. She loved me. Past tense.”

 

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. She definitely still has feelings for you.”

 

“Then why didn’t she go to the reunion? Besides, I messed up. She’s probably crying to Trent right now. I practically pushed her into his arms. That bastard.”

 

“They’re just friends. Don’t let your insecurities get to you, man. You don’t need to compete with Trent.”

 

“I’m not insecure. Who said I was?”

 

DJ just gives him a pointed look.

 

“Okay fine. Maybe a little. What does it matter though? She doesn’t want me anymore.”

 

“So you’re giving up? After you worked so hard to turn your life around.”

 

“Yes— no. I don’t know.”

 

“No one said it would be easy. Heather was right, you broke her trust. And now you have to earn it back.”

 

“How can I do that when she doesn’t want anything to do with me? She ran off that stage the second we made eye contact.”

 

“You could just try and talk to her.”

 

“That was the plan, but it didn’t work out, remember?”

 

“Well then, try again. Maybe just not in such a public setting next time .”

 

“It’s not like I can just show up at her door. I don’t even know where she lives.”

 

“Well we know she lives in New York. That’s where she films her show.”

 

“Her show! That’s it! That’s where I can find her.”

 

“Duncan I don’t think it’s smart to show up on set where there are _lots and lots_ of cameras.”

 

“Don’t worry, DJ, this time I know what I’m doing.”

——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duncan soon finds out that she’ll be in New York for a few weeks before the movie premiere in LA. During that time, she’s due to film some episodes of Judge Courtney. It was too risky to be in the audience. She would see him or he could lose his cool. Either way he learned the hard way that he needs to avoid cameras. He decides to try and sneak over to her dressing room. Was that the best idea? Probably not, but it was his only plan right now so he had to go with it. Though DJ and Gwen both thought it was a terrible plan. Gwen thinks he should just give up and DJ thinks that maybe messaging her would be better. He knows she would never reply him though. He had to see her in person. That’s the only way he can get her to talk to him. She wouldn’t be able to ignore him in person… he hopes. He doesn’t know what he would do if she tried to dodge him.

 

He makes his way to the set while they’re filming the show and scopes out for security. Luckily for him, it was lacking. There was only one guard on duty and he easily sneaks past him. Now he just had to find her dressing room.

 

He finally finds it after a few turns and was about to go in when he’s stopped by a familiar voice.

 

“Duncan? What are you doing here?”

 

He turns around to see Tyler. He’s ditched the red tracksuit, but still dresses athletically even though he’s an accident prone.

 

“Hey Tyler. Didn’t think I’d run into you… what are you doing here?”

 

“I was filming next door, so I thought I would stop by. Why are you… you’re here for Courtney.”

 

“Okay. You caught me. Yeah, I’m here to talk to her.”

 

“I think you’re the last person she wants to talk to. She was pretty upset.”

 

“She told you too?”

 

“What? No. I mean we’re kind of in the same circle, but I just saw the clip online.”

 

“Oh. Right.”

 

“It was nice seeing you and all, but I think you should leave.”

 

“I will, after I talk to her.”

 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, man. You’ve hurt her enough.”

 

“You think I don’t know that? Look, I know I don’t deserve her, but I love her. I just need to talk to her. Tell me you wouldn’t do the same for Lindsey.”

 

Tyler doesn’t say anything at first, but he can empathize with how he feels. He knows that if he was losing Lindsey then he would want to win her back too. No matter what it took. He just hopes Duncan’s really changed and he’s not too late.

 

“Alright, but I never saw you okay?”

 

“Thanks, Tyler.”

 

“Don’t mention it. Just don’t be stupid this time.”

 

“I know what I’m doing this time around.”

 

“I sure hope so, not for your sake, but for hers.”

——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Courtney is exhausted after filming and going through all those cases. She’s still jet lagged from London. She couldn’t wait to go back to her apartment for some much needed rest. She could really use a break. She opens the door to her dressing room and immediately plops down on the sofa. She has her eyes closed and she doesn’t notice him when he moves to sit down in an armchair across from her. She opens her eyes and sees him. She frowns, she must be really tired. Her brain is playing tricks on her again. She closes her eyes then opens them again. He’s still there and he’s smiling at her. She looks down and rubs her temple, and tells herself this isn’t real.

 

“I’m as real as it gets, Princess.”

 

She looks up and their eyes meet. She pinches herself and it hurt. Holy shit…

 

He’s really here.


	7. Before the Worst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We were thinking we would never be apart  
> With your name tattooed across my heart  
> Oh, who would have thought it would end up like this?  
> Where everything we talked about is gone  
> And the only chance we have of moving on  
> Is trying to take it back before it all went wrong

Neither of them speak, both just looking at each other. Finally, after what seemed like forever, they were able to study the differences five years had changed one another. Gone were the teenagers on the island— now they’re grown up and face to face with their first love once again.

 

Duncan is ready to say anything to win her back, but he waits for Courtney to say something first. Anything. Even yelling at him to leave. He needs to know she still cares and her silence worries him.

 

He looks just like he did in her dreams. She never got a good look at him from their previous encounters. She wouldn’t let herself have more than a glance. Now, though… she can’t seem to keep her eyes away. She wants to reach out and touch him to prove he’s actually here, even though she knows this isn’t an illusion. She can tell that he’s starting to worry. She’s not saying anything, but to be fair, neither was he. She didn’t even know where to begin. There was so many things that they needed to talk about…

 

After what felt like an eternity, Courtney decides to get it over with.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

Duncan was prepared to hear this question, but her tone was unexpected. He almost didn’t know how to answer. Her voice was so quiet and full of sadness. It hurt him knowing that he was the reason for her tone.

 

His hesitation in answering does not reassure Courtney. She knows what she wants his answer to be, but then again, maybe she doesn’t. He decides to get to the point. No playing games. He tells the truth.

 

“I’m here to win you back.”

 

Those were the words Courtney wanted to hear. She so badly wanted to agree and go back to him. Lord knows she couldn’t stop thinking about him, but her guard was up and he knows why. She wasn’t going to make this easy, both for his sake and hers.

 

She doesn’t ask him anything else. She just simply nods, stands up and prepares to leave. Now Duncan knew she would try to run, but he didn’t think it would happen like this. He immediately stands up and blocks the door. There was no way he was going to let her get away again.

 

“We’re not done here Courtney.”

 

“Maybe to you we’re not, but I am.”

 

“Just hear me out.”

 

“Look, Duncan. Believe me when I say I really want to, but I don’t know if I can handle it right now.”

 

He actually doesn’t argue, instead he apologizes, “I’m sorry.”

 

Surprised, she asks, “what?”

 

“I’m sorry. I know I’m the reason that you’re so stressed. I messed up, but I’m here to prove to you I’ve changed. I’m here to give us another try.”

 

“I don’t know Duncan… I really don’t know.”

 

“I’m not giving up this time. I’m serious about this.”

 

“What if I’m giving up?”

 

“Then I’ll just have to try and change your mind.”

 

“I really hope you do.”

 

“We’ll start slow. I won’t be so impulsive this time.”

 

She doesn’t try to fight it this time. She’s exhausted, “okay.”

 

He smiles, “okay? Okay!”

 

She couldn’t help but smile seeing him so happy. She’s missed him.

 

“Can I take you home?”

 

Her first reaction is to say no, but she ends up agreeing. Maybe when she gets some sleep then she’ll come to her senses, because a part of her still thinks this is a dream.

 

They both walk out of her dressing room which raises some eyebrows from the staff. Courtney’s never had a boy visit her unless it was Trent and occasionally Tyler or Alejandro, but everyone knows that they’re both in committed relationships and just good friends of hers. They ignore the stares, and together, they make their way to Duncan’s motorcycle parked outside. This brings a rush of memories to the both of them. Some of their best times were spent together on his bike. He hands her a helmet, but not just any helmet, it was hers. Her eye widen in recognition.

 

“You kept this?”

 

“Yeah, I never could get myself to throw it out.”

 

She knows exactly what he means as she looks at the headwear fondly. She remembers when he first showed up outside her house with this. He looked all over the city until he could find the perfect one. It was purple and had the word Princess written in cursive with a crown connecting to the “s” at the end. She couldn’t even pretend to hate it when he presented it to her. She was happy to see he kept something of hers, but she couldn’t help but wonder if those memories were tainted with another person.

 

“... did… did anyone else ever…”

 

“No.”

 

“No? Not even Gwen?”

 

“Not even Gwen. She was never allowed on my bike. I always made up an excuse. I didn’t know why I wouldn’t let her at the time, but she figured it out before I did. Plus, for some odd reason, she didn’t seem to want to be on it either.”

 

“It’s because Trent’s into motorcycles. He taught her how to ride one and they even built one together.”

 

“I never knew that about him.”

 

Courtney gives a small smile, “there’s a lot about him that you don’t know.”

 

Duncan frowns hearing her say that. He doesn’t like how close the two have gotten.

——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They’re both quiet on the ride to Courtney’s apartment. She holds onto him tightly and it felt almost as if they were teenagers again. They let themselves enjoy being close to one another.

 

Finally, they get there after half an hour of traffic. Living in New York can get annoying sometimes. Courtney always had to make sure she calculated enough time for traffic before any of her events.

 

They go up to the top floor. She unlocks the door and immediately goes through her routine. She checks the mail on her counter that her manager left for her. She then goes into her room to take a shower and change into more comfortable clothes. She proceeds to the kitchen right after to decide what she’s going to have for dinner. She’s rarely been home since booking the movie, so she ends up ordering out a lot. While her brain functions on autopilot, she completely forgets that Duncan is still here, but he doesn’t mind. He’s content just seeing what she’s been doing without him.

 

Her apartment is clean and pristine; just as he expected. There’s not many decorations nor pictures, and there’s only a few of her with her family and friends. Everything is neatly put away except for a single notebook on the coffee table. Against his better judgment, he picks it up and opens it. He finds a bunch of writing, but not all of the lines were written by her. They were song lyrics— lyrics that were thought up by both Trent and Courtney. He closes the book and puts it back down. He understands what it’s like to hide away your writing, but he can’t help but feel jealous that Trent seems to have left his mark all over her.

 

She finally looks over to the living room and notices that Duncan is still here. She feels bad for forgetting, but it’s natural for her to go into her routine once she’s in her safe place.

 

“Sorry I’m not being a good host. Did you eat yet? I think I’m gonna order Chinese.”

 

“Not yet. That sounds good though.”

 

“I’ll order the usual then.”

 

Just like that, they fall back into their past relationship. It’s comfortable and easier than confronting their problems. She knows that she’ll have to face their past soon, but for tonight, she just wants to have him here. She can pretend that they’re together again and that he won’t hurt her.

 

Just for tonight.

 

Courtney ends up falling asleep shortly after finishing her take out. They both had a random movie on while they were eating. They talked a little about the stupid plot of the movie and laughed about it. Duncan was about to make a joke about the lead actor when he sees that she’s fallen asleep. She was snuggled up next to him, just like when they were back on the show. He’s missed this— he missed her.

 

Trying not to wake her, he picks her up and lays her down onto her bed. He tucks her in and places a kiss on her forehead, “goodnight Princess.”

 

The room was dark and he nearly runs into the nightstand, but he stops short of stubbing his toe. That’s when he sees it. Sitting on top of the nightstand in plain sight was the skull. He wasn’t the only who couldn’t let go. She kept it and she didn’t try to hide it. It was probably the last thing she looks at before falling asleep at night. He smiles at that. “I knew you still cared, Princess.”

 

He walks back out to the living room to clean up. Afterwards, he decides to crash on the couch. They were doing so well and he promised to take things slow. He falls asleep easily, knowing that she was in the next room and that his feelings weren’t completely one sided.

——————————————————————------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Courtney wakes up late the next morning feeling more refreshed. Funny, she didn’t remember turning off her alarm. It was her day off, so she wasn’t too worried. She felt better after getting some much needed rest. She gets up and dresses in some work out clothes. She was in a pleasant mood, she even starts humming as she’s getting ready.

 

The moment is short lived when she walks out of her room. She screams when she sees the sight of her living room.

 

“Ah! What are you doing here!?!”

 

Duncan is startled awake by the commotion. It’s been a while since he’s been woken up by Courtney.

 

“Well, good morning to you too, Sunshine.”

 

“What are you doing here, you idiot!?!”

 

“You’re the one who let me in last night!”

 

“What!? I would never…”

 

Suddenly memories of last night come flashing back to her. She thought it was another one of her dreams caused by being sleep deprived, but turns out, it was real this time. She remembers falling asleep on the couch, though. That means he was the one to take her to her room, but he didn’t try to sleep next to her… She’s surprised that he didn’t try anything. He’s still looking at her slightly annoyed that she woke him up.

 

“Alright. Well, you have to go. I’m going to the gym and I expect you to be out of my place by the time I get back.”

 

“Aww, Princess, you don’t need to work out for me. You’re already hot.”

 

“Shut up! Just be out of here!”

 

She slams the door as she walks out. He always did get her riled up. Now she had to work out extra hard to get out her aggression.

 

Duncan doesn’t leave even though he knows it’ll piss Courtney off. Instead, he takes a shower and looks through her fridge to see if there’s anything he can find to make breakfast. Luckily for him, her manager keeps her place stocked. He doesn’t know when she’ll be home, but he figures he could make her breakfast while she’s taking a shower. They both knew he wasn’t going anywhere.

 

After a couple hours, she makes it back to her apartment. She feels much better after working out. She decides that if Duncan is still there then she won’t yell at him as much. However, she’s disappointed when she opens the door to see the couch empty. She frowns, but goes to her shower. She needed to get clean. She comes back out in clean clothes and hears her stomach grumble. She was hungry. So hungry in fact that her mind was playing tricks on her. Was that bacon she smelled? She walks out to see breakfast on the counter and Duncan cleaning up by the sink. He smiles when he sees her. Her hearts starts to beat faster even though she wasn’t exercising anymore.

 

“Did you have a good workout?”

 

“Yeah, I did… I thought you… left…?”

 

“Nah. I was just in your guest room. I figured you would be hungry, so I made you breakfast.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

…

 

“Are you just going to watch me eat?”

 

“I ate already.”

 

“Well that doesn’t mean you have to watch me while I eat.”

 

“I missed you too, Princess.”

 

Courtney doesn’t say anything after that. She just finishes her food and cleans up. It was weird having Duncan around. She wasn’t used to sharing her space with anyone else besides Trent, but with Duncan, it was different. She couldn’t decide if different was good or bad. She just knows that there’s a lot in the air that they need to clear up. She closes her eyes for a moment before opening them and facing him.

 

“Okay, Duncan, I think we need to talk.”

 

“I’m ready for it.”

 

“I don’t really know where to begin.”

 

“How about the day you left?”

 

“What about that day?”

 

“I never stopped thinking about you. Even before that, but I think you knew that already.”

 

“I didn’t.”

 

“Did you ever think about me after you left?”

 

_Every. Day._ “No.”

 

“You’re lying.”

 

“No I’m not.”

 

“I know you still care, Courtney.”

 

“You wish I did.”

 

“Yeah, I do, and I can admit that. Can you?”

 

They were really close to each other. She felt trapped in the space of her tiny kitchen. She kept backing away from him until her back hit the sink. He was way too close. She was getting uncomfortable and she hated being wrong. She knew she was being stubborn, but honestly, she was still angry at him. She couldn’t trust him. How can she know for sure that he wasn’t going to turn on her?

 

“I can’t trust you Duncan. I won’t trust you.”

 

“I won’t break your trust again.”

 

“I don’t believe you for a minute.”

 

He knows she’s serious, but so is he. He’s not giving up this easy.

 

“I’m not going anywhere this time.”

 

“You’ll change your mind.”

 

“Not now, not ever.”

 

They were getting nowhere. They’ve barely scratched the surface of their problems and they didn’t even resolve anything. Neither of them were backing down. Eventually, Courtney grows tired of the back and forth banter. Duncan, on the other hand, was just happy that she was still here.

 

“Fine. Do whatever you want. Just don’t get in my way. I need to go run some errands.”

——————————————————————------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the next couple of days, Duncan follows Courtney while she goes out and does whatever she needs to do. She’s both annoyed and amazed at his persistence. He does give her space, while still being in her line of sight. At night, she sleeps in her bed while he sleeps on the couch. That’s the only time they’re separated.

 

Courtney has to go in and shoot a few more episodes of Judge Courtney and of course Duncan tags along.

 

“Don’t you have anything better to do?”

 

“Nothing’s more important than you, Princess.”

 

She rolls her eyes but gets on his bike as they make their way to the studio. This time Duncan doesn’t have to try and sneak in. They walk in together. Again, everyone is giving them looks. A few of them recognize Duncan, but no one was brave enough to approach the two. Given their reputation, it wasn’t a good idea to confront them anyways.

 

Courtney goes to hair and makeup, then wardrobe before going on set. Duncan on the other hand, ends up bumping into Courtney’s manager, Anna.

 

“You’re Duncan right?”

 

“The one and only.”

 

“Hm… well I’m Anna, Courtney’s manager.”

 

“I didn’t know she had one.”

 

“We have a more professional relationship. I don’t really butt into her personal life. She’s never given me a reason to, though.”

 

“No reason at all?”

 

“Nope. She doesn’t cause much scandal in the media. You’re the only single guy she’s been around besides Trent.”

 

“What makes you think I’m single?”

 

“You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t. Besides I’m not stupid. I do my research. I know you two have history.”

 

“Fair point.”

 

“Look, Duncan, I can’t say I know much about you, but I don’t think you’re a bad person. Courtney’s never talked about you, but she hasn’t contacted me to get rid of you, so that must mean something.”

 

“I knew she was lying about that.”

 

“Anyways, I’m just here to check up on her, but she seems to be doing better.”

 

“You have to check up on her?”

 

“She’s not the best at taking care of herself. She works too hard sometimes. If I didn’t figure a way to get her into a routine, then she would be way worse. She used to skip meals and not sleep from being too stressed out.”

 

“Yeah, she always did pile everything on her plate.”

 

“That’s why I’m not booking her another project after this movie. She needs a break.”

 

“I think that’s a good idea.”

 

“Glad you and I agree. Well, I gotta go, it was nice meeting you. I’m going to leave you my number so if you need anything, you can call me. I doubt Courtney would give you my contact information.”

 

“Don’t you think she’s gonna be mad after she finds out you gave me your number?”

 

“Probably, but I have her best interest at heart. It’s my job to make sure she’s doing alright. Besides, I have a feeling you might need it soon.”

 

Her ringtone goes off and Anna walks away, busy with a phone call. It was nice for Duncan that someone in Courtney’s life seemed to be on his side.

  



	8. Can't Stop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No I never get used to silence  
> But I don't hear, no I don't hear  
> I don't hear you anymore  
> I know I had to look hard to find it  
> Everything, everything  
> Everything is gone
> 
> I don't want to live without you  
> And put life off for another day

They have a routine again: Courtney always tells him to leave in the morning and Duncan never listens. Then they spend the day doing whatever it is Courtney needs to get done. She’ll ask him what he does for living, since he’s not doing anything but bothering her but he always ignores the questions and tells her not to worry about. In fact, he’s doing great at his job now all because of her. His answer always confuses her and gets her more annoyed and another argument starts. At night, however, they both make sure to say good night before going to their respective spaces. Sometimes they try and talk about what happened, but Courtney’s just not ready for it. It gets too serious and she doesn’t want that. She likes just having him around because it reminds her of the good times; when they were happy. She knows she’s being selfish by not facing her fears, but she just needs time. Though, he’s not pushing her, he knows it’s not easy for her. He’s already explained why he did what he did during world tour… was it right? _No_ , but she understands that he was just angry and he lashed out. He wasn’t the only one at fault. She had been too hard on him, she just wanted to change him, but she was wrong. They’ve made their peace with their mistakes as teens, now all there’s left to do is to fall back together. She needs to let him back in. He knows in time she will, besides, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying their time together like this.

 

Today was a different day. There’s only a week left before the premiere and Courtney has to be on a plane to Los Angeles to get ready. Heather has requested that she get here so they have time to prepare. _Heather_ … Courtney winces as she thinks about how she’s going to react knowing Duncan was tagging along. It’s not like she could just leave him… he wasn’t going to listen. In fact, they were already on the plane.

 

Being on a plane together brought back bad memories. The only good thing is that they were in first class and the plane was functioning properly. He can tell that she’s anxious. For the first time since he’s been with her, he reaches over and touches her arm, even though Courtney’s been adamant about not making physical contact. She knows the dangers of it. Especially when it’s with Duncan. Though, she lets him touch her arm and it relaxes her. He’s here with her and he’s going to stay here with her. She lets herself calm down and ends up falling asleep, snuggled up next to him. This was exactly the reason why they weren’t allowed to sleep in the same space, but she didn’t want to fight it this time.

 

She wakes up about an hour before they’re due to land.

 

“Did you have a nice rest?”

 

She nods her head, “Yeah, I did.”

 

She smiles at him and it makes him melt. This is the first time she’s really smiled at him in a long time. It’s short lived though, her smile was soon replaced by a frown.

 

“What’s wrong, Princess?”

 

“I guess I’d better warn you.”

 

“About?”

 

“Heather.”

 

“I’ve dealt with her before. It’ll be fine.”

 

She shakes her head, “you haven’t dealt with Heather when she’s my friend.”

 

“Alright. Tell me about her, then.”

 

“She hates you.”

 

“Yeah, she told me at the reunion.”

 

“Wow. I’m surprised she even talked to you.”

 

“I don’t think she wanted to… I was going through some stuff…”

 

Courtney raises an eyebrow at that.

 

“Okay I got drunk. I was mad that you didn’t show up. I was even more pissed when I found out you were with Trent.”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Yeah. Heather gave me an earful about how I don’t deserve you and that you’re better off with Trent.”

 

“Okay so maybe you’re caught up then.”

 

“Don’t worry, Princess, I’m not going anywhere. Not even Heather can keep me away.”

 

She rolls her eyes at that, but she’d be lying if she wasn’t happy to hear that.

——————————————————————---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They manage to land and get settled in the hotel room before Heather calls.

 

“Finally. I’ve been waiting for you to get here.”

 

“My flight wasn’t even delayed, Heather.”

 

“Yeah, but you should’ve booked an earlier flight.”

 

“Well I’m here now. What did you have planned?”

 

“I thought you’d never ask. I have hair and makeup coming in the day of the premiere to get us ready. We need to find you an outfit ASAP. Honestly I can’t believe you didn’t have anything picked out already. Anyways, then, of course, we need to schedule in some hang out time to catch up and for spa treatments.”

 

“That sounds great, Heather. I guess we’ll meet up tomorrow, then?”

 

“Fine. I figured you would be jet lagged. You’re off the hook for dinner tonight.”

 

“ _Thank god_.”

 

“Courtney… who was that?”

 

“Shut up! Um… huh? No one! I’ll see you tomorrow! Bye!”

 

“Courtney! That better not be who I think it is!”

 

It was too late though, she already hung up. If that was who Heather thought it was, then he was going to be in a lot of trouble.

 

“Duncan! Why did you talk so loud?”

 

“It’s not my fault you had her on speaker phone. I wasn’t even that loud.”

 

“Well I didn’t exactly have a free hand. I’m sorting through my luggage.”

 

“You could’ve waited to do that.”

 

“And have Heather blow up at me for it? No thanks. I can already hear her screaming at me for bringing you here.”

 

“Why _did_ you bring me?”

 

“I didn’t bring you. You tagged along.”

 

“You could’ve said no.”

 

“Would you have listened?”

 

“Probably not.”

 

“Exactly. Now make sure you stay on your side of the bed tonight. I’m making a pillow barrier.”

 

“I’m surprised you didn’t just ask for two beds.”

 

“It’s not like I knew you would be here.”

 

“If you’re really that uncomfortable I can sleep on the floor.”

 

“No, it’s okay. It’s a big bed. Just stay on your side.”

 

“I’m not making any promises.”

 

“You’re unbelievable.”

 

“You love me.”

 

She has to bite her tongue. She almost agreed. Luckily for her, he doesn’t notice. It was late, so they decide to order room service and have an early night in. They had a big day tomorrow with Heather.

——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duncan actually wakes up first for once. Immediately, he notices that the pillow barrier has done nothing to keep them apart. Courtney’s pressed up next to him and he has his arm around her waist. She was still asleep. He knows he should probably move away so that she doesn’t freak out, but it was so nice to finally have her in his arms again. He doesn’t move, but when he sees her starting to stir awake, he pretends to still be asleep.

 

Courtney wakes up and immediately notices that she was the one who crossed the barrier that’s nowhere to be found. Luckily for her, Duncan was still asleep. She just had to find a way to move without him waking up and finding out. She tries to gently move his arm, but it doesn’t budge. Next, she tries to turn around and slip out of bed. She manages to turn, but before she can try and get out, Duncan grabs her and pulls her closer to him. If she wasn’t trapped before, she definitely was now. She doesn’t really see a way out so she stays put. Back when they were teenagers, she was always the one who wanted to be close to him. Not that he didn’t, but Courtney was always the one to want to hold him. It was nice to be held for once. That’s when she figured it out.

 

“I know you’re not asleep, Duncan.”

 

He, of course, doesn’t reply. He just holds her a little tighter as she rolls her eyes.

 

“Duncan, we have to get up and get ready.”

 

He mumbles into her hair, “five more minutes.”

 

“I knew you were awake. Now get up!”

 

“The alarm didn’t even go off yet.”

 

“I don’t care. I want to get ready.”

 

“Well I want to stay in bed with you.”

 

“Duncan.”

 

“Courtney.”

 

“Ugh! You are impossible!”

 

“Relax. We can get up when your alarm goes off. Just enjoy this.”

 

The old Courtney would have just pushed him off while screaming at him, but now, she realizes that there’s no winning when he’s this close to her. Truth be told, she wanted to enjoy this too. She just needed to know it was okay.

 

The alarm goes off a few minutes later and true to his word, Duncan lets her go.

 

“Morning, Princess.”

 

“Good morning to you too. I’m gonna go take a shower.”

 

“Want me to join you?” He says with a wink.

 

She glares at him, “don’t push your luck.”

 

They get ready and go to grab a bite to eat before meeting up with Heather at her home. She had a bunch of outfits sent to her place so that they could have privacy while they decide what Courtney should wear. Heather already picked out her outfit as well as Alejandro’s. The maid lets them in and escorts them to the guest room where Heather is waiting with the clothes. As soon as Heather sees Courtney, she runs up to hug her. It’s been awhile since the last time they saw each other.

 

“I’m so glad you’re finally here!”

 

“I missed you too, Heather!”

 

“Alright, so I have a few things in mind that I want you to try and... What the _heck_ is _he_ doing _here_?!”

 

“Nice to see you again, too, Heather.”

 

“Courtney! Why is Duncan here?! You have a lot of explaining to do!”

 

“I couldn’t get rid of him.”

 

“Did you even try? You would normally file a restraining order!”

 

Heather is glaring at Duncan who is doing pretty well considering most people would be afraid. Duncan’s used to how Heather acts, though. They were in four seasons together after all.

 

“Let’s just forget about him, okay? I need you to help me find an outfit. You’re the only one that can help me with this.”

 

“Fine. But he doesn’t get to have an opinion.”

 

“Duncan, be on your best behavior.”

 

“I make no promises.”

 

“Not that it makes a difference. You’re just going to break it.”

 

“Heather!”

 

“What? It’s true. Alright— here, try these on first.”

 

With that, Courtney is sent to try on the first few dresses Heather picked out. Duncan just sits on the couch waiting to see what Courtney puts on. Though, he doesn’t really care what she wears, he always thinks she looks beautiful. Heather takes a seat a good distance away from him on the sectional, but does not say a word to him. She chooses to just shoot him death glares, which he ignores.

 

After changing for about fifteen times, they still have not picked out an outfit for Courtney. Honestly, Duncan didn’t see what the problem was. She looked amazing in everything she tried on. Heather, on the other hand, found a problem with everything. It didn't hug her curves, the sleeves are too long, the color was too bright, blah blah blah… Duncan stopped listening after the third outfit.

 

“No, try this one. It’s a shade darker, I think that would be better than the one you have on.”

 

Courtney was starting to get annoyed too. She wasn’t one to really care about fashion, but Heather insisted, and she knows her friend was just trying to be supportive. This was her first big movie premiere. The other movies weren’t as big a deal as this one.

 

“Mi Amor, are you in here?” Alejandro walks inside the room. “Ah. There you are. I was wondering where you went. Oh, hello Courtney and… Duncan?”

 

“I told you Courtney was going to be coming over today. Did you forget?”

 

“Sorry. It must have slipped my mind. You did tell me. You didn’t tell me that she was back with Duncan, though.”

 

Heather and Courtney say at the same time, “she’s not.”

 

“I’m not.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Ignore him, Darling, we’re still trying to decide what Courtney should wear to the premiere.”

 

Alejandro looks at the racks of dresses. He walks towards them and picks out a deep purple gown.

 

“I think this one would look lovely on you, Courtney. Try this one.”

 

She looks at the dress. It was gorgeous. She was surprised that Heather didn’t suggest it earlier. She puts it on and it fits perfectly. Almost as if it was made for her. She looks in the mirror and twirls. She felt like a princess.

 

“Courtney! Hurry up and show us what it looks like!”

 

“Alright! I’m coming!”

 

As soon as they see her in the dress, they knew it was the one. Alejandro nods in approval and tells her she looks stunning. Heather smiles and says that this was it! Duncan froze when he saw her. He was wrong to think it didn’t matter what she wore, that dress was perfect. It made him fall in love with her all over again. Courtney smiles as she takes in everyone’s reactions. She was happy to see that Alejandro and Heather loved it, but what she really loved was the way Duncan was looking at her. As if she was the most beautiful woman in the world. It’s been a really long time since she’s seen that expression on his face.

 

“I think we have a winner.”

——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Courtney and Duncan both stay for dinner, much to the disapproval of Heather. Alejandro chuckles at Heather’s reaction and tells her that it’ll be okay. Dinner goes by without any major incidents. Heather was annoyed, but she kept her cool. Courtney seemed happy and everyone could tell that Duncan was crazy about her. It’s written all over his face, and maybe that’s why Heather cut him some slack. After dinner, the four of them stepped out into the backyard to see the garden that Heather and Alejandro had newly installed. Alejandro starts explaining all the different flowers to Courtney who just nods while taking in their beauty. Duncan takes this opportunity to try and get on Heather’s good side. He needed a favor.

 

“So Heather…”

 

“No.”

 

“No? I didn’t even say anything yet.”

 

“I know what you’re going to ask, and the answer is no.”

 

“Come on. Just give me a chance.”

 

“No way, Duncan. Look, Courtney might be able to look past what you did, but I’m not Courtney. You are not going to the premiere. I’m not going to have you ruin her career!”

 

“I’m not going to ruin her career.”

 

“You’ve been away from the spotlight for too long. You’re going to ruin her reputation. You’re just going to drag her down.”

 

“I’m not the same guy anymore.”

 

“People are going to talk. Contrary to popular belief, not all publicity is good. She’s worked so hard to get away from you and be her own person. I’m not letting her go back to you.”

 

“And what if she wants to?”

 

“As if she would want to go back to you. Why would she do that when she has Trent?”

 

“She doesn’t like Trent.”

 

“Sure she does. They’re constantly together. He’s her biggest supporter. He’s the one who’s been there for her. Where were you? Oh that’s right. Sitting in jail for a stupid crime.”

 

Before things could get worse, Courtney’s cell phone goes off.

 

“Shoot. Sorry. I thought I had it on silent. Hold on. I gotta take this.”

 

The three of them wait for her to come back and Alejandro makes sure to stand in between Heather and Duncan. He heard their argument when Courtney walked on ahead. A few minutes later, Courtney comes back and Heather asks her about the call.

 

“Oh, it was just Trent.”

 

Duncan tenses up hearing his name and Heather smiles, “oh. What did Lover Boy want?”

 

“You really need to stop calling him that. He was just calling to say that his tour is wrapping up in a few days and he’s going to try and make the premiere.”

 

“That’s perfect! He can be your date!”

 

“I wasn’t planning on taking a date, Heather. Besides, he’s probably going to be tired. He should just rest. I can catch up with him later.”

 

“Courtney, he would do anything for you. He’s going to the premiere.”

 

Alejandro speaks up while putting a hand on Heather’s shoulder signaling her to tone it down.

 

“Who knows, maybe Trent’s flight will be delayed. He doesn’t have to be there.”

 

Courtney glances over at Duncan and sees that he is fuming with anger, “I’m not going with anyone. End of discussion. Now let’s just go back inside and move on.”

 

The four of them go back inside the house and shortly after, Courtney and Duncan say their goodbyes to head back to their hotel. It’s silent during the cab ride back. She knows that Trent is a touchy subject for him, but she doesn’t quite know how to make him feel better.

 

Once inside the room, they both get ready for bed. She doesn’t try to make another barrier, but she’s hesitant to get into the bed with him. He’s still angry and she doesn’t know how to fix it.

 

Duncan knows he’s being ridiculous. He shouldn’t be jealous, but Heather brought up a lot of good points. He so badly wants to just confront Courtney and ask her to pick a side, but he knows that’s a death sentence. He was in no position to ask her to choose. Heather was right, Trent was the one who was there for her, not him. He’s really more mad at himself for not being there for her. As they’re getting ready to go to sleep, he notices that Courtney was just kind of standing next to the bed, unsure of what to do. He’s still mad, but he’s not mad at her.

 

“Come here, Princess. I’m not mad at you.”

 

She reluctantly gets into the bed, “I know, but you’re still upset.”

 

He pulls her close to him and she lets him.

 

“I’m sorry. I promise not to be mad anymore.”

 

They’re facing each other. She smiles at him, “Lets just get some rest okay, Dunkie?”

 

He smiles back, how could he be mad when she was right next him, “okay. Good night, Princess.”

 

“Good night Duncan.”

 

They fall asleep in each other’s arms forgetting about the negative thoughts. They were together and choosing to stay with one another.


	9. Never Be Like You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stop looking at me with those eyes  
> Like I could disappear and you wouldn't care why  
> Now I'm fucked up and I'm missing you

For the next few days, Courtney was extremely busy doing all the things Heather had planned. Alejandro must have talked to her since she didn’t bring up Trent anymore. Courtney knows that Heather means well, but she is the Queen of Mean for a reason. Hopefully today would be relaxing, today was the spa treatment Heather had been raving about. They’re finally going to have some girl time. Duncan was sent to go with Alejandro while the girls caught up. They were currently getting massages, but Courtney should’ve known she still wasn’t off the hook. Heather wanted details.

“Alright, I’ve waited long enough. Spill. Why is Duncan here and why aren’t you mad about it?”

“He says he’s here to win me back.”

“Ugh. Of course he is. Typical. You don’t seem too bothered by it though. Court, you’re not seriously thinking of going back to him, right?”

“Honestly, Heather, I don’t know.”

“You’re kidding!”

“It’s hard to explain. You know how I’ve been. I miss him. Even though I know it’s stupid. He’s actually making an effort and it feels nice to be wanted.”

“How long is that going to last though? Besides you’re wanted by a lot of people. Remember Scott? Or how about Justin right now? Or that new up and coming star what’s his face.”

“Scott wasn’t the right person. I used him. Justin wants fame and I don’t know who you’re talking about for the last guy.”

“Look. I just don’t want you to make the same mistake. You deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks, Heather. You’re a good friend. I guess I’m still conflicted about what to do.”

“Did you guys talk about anything?”

“No, I’m not ready for it. I know we should, but I just can’t get myself to talk about it yet.”

“Well, you better do it soon, but enough about him. Let’s talk about something else.”  
——————————————————————------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The boys were currently in the hot tub relaxing while the girls were getting pampered. Neither of the guys really talked to each other much, so it was a bit awkward. Now that they weren’t competing against each other though, it makes it easier for them to be honest.

“So, Duncan, you’re serious about Courtney this time?”

“I’ve always been serious about her.”

“I can see why. I have no doubt that you care, I just can’t say the same about her.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing really. I would like to believe she still cares, but she’s never really talked about it. Have you two talked things through?”

“She’s not ready to talk about it.”

“Hm… well she doesn’t talk about relationships to anyone besides Trent.”

“Why does it always go back to him?”

“You shouldn’t worry about him. They’re just friends. Courtney’s not interested in him. No matter how hard Heather tries to force it. You can’t force feelings.”

“How are you so sure? You just said she doesn’t talk about relationships.”

“I have a sixth sense when it comes to these things. I know we were never close, but you can count on me if you have any problems. I know that if I was in your position, I would do anything to win back Heather’s affection. You can’t fight love.”

“Thanks, man. I need all the help I can get right now.”

Apparently a spa day meant it was going to last the whole day. Which was just too much for Duncan, so he decides to move on to his next plan of action: get into the premiere. Fortunately, he has a connection with Anna who has agreed to let him go and now Alejandro who has agreed to find him a suit for the event. All that’s left to do is to go to the premiere.  
——————————————————————---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
It’s the day of the premiere and Courtney and Duncan are over at Heather’s. The girls are getting ready. Alejandro is waiting to change and Duncan is just hanging out. This doesn’t sit well with Courtney.

“You sure you’re going to be okay by yourself?”

“Do you miss me already, Princess? Aww.”

“No. Of course not. I just didn’t think you were going to just go back to the hotel room and wait for me to get back.”

“Does that mean you’re inviting me?”

“No.”

“Then don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine. Or, you can just skip the whole thing and stay with me.”

“Yeah, nice try. I’m staying out as late as I want.”

“Maybe not too late?”

“Don’t wait up, Honey!”

“You’re going to be the death of me. Fine. Go enjoy yourself.”

With that Courtney was determined to have a good time. She wasn’t going to worry about Duncan. It was her night. Besides, he said he would be okay and it’s not like he could go with her.

As soon as Heather, Alejandro, and Courtney left the house, Duncan started to get ready. Alejandro had everything set aside in the guest room for him. He didn’t need as much time to get ready as the others. It took him twenty minutes to be done. Alejandro also provided a car for him to borrow, so transportation wasn’t an issue either. All he had to do was show up. Boy, was Courtney in for a surprise.  
——————————————————————------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
As soon as Courtney steps onto the red carpet, all eyes were on her. Cameras were everywhere taking pictures while everyone raved about how gorgeous she was in her dress. She definitely made the right choice. Even Justin seemed like he was swooning— Uh oh. Justin. She had forgotten about him. Now he was on his way over and with a reporter too.

“Courtney! You look stunning!”

“Thanks, Justin. You look nice too.”

“Now that the stars of the movie are here we can get right to the questions! Tell us, what was it like working with each other?”

“Working with Courtney comes naturally. I mean, we were on Total Drama together before that. It’s a shame we didn’t get to spend more time together back then. We do have all the time now, though.”

“Justin’s great to work with. It’s definitely been an experience to be costars again.”

“Wow! All nice things to say about each other! Did you two know that you have a following? So many fans are excited to see you two together! Tell us if you’ve run into any of those fans.”

“Well I haven’t had much opportunity to meet the fans quite yet. I’ve been busy with my modeling career. It’s hard work to keep me looking this good all the time.”

“I haven’t really gotten a chance to meet the fans either, but I do read the fanmail and I’m aware that some of them are very excited about Love at Hindsight.”

“While we're on the topic of love, neither of you seem to have brought dates? Is there a reason for that?”

“Well, you see, Courtney and I actually do have dates.”

“Oh! Who are they? Could it be that Trent and Monica are here somewhere?”

Oh great… not this crap again. Justin was going to try something. She has to figure out a way to get out of this, and fast.

“Neither of them are here. You see, Courtney is actually here with…”

It seems her Knight in Shining Armani has arrived just in time. It was completely unexpected, but Duncan was here and he was all dressed up too. He puts his arm around her.

“Sorry I’m late, Dear. Parking was atrocious.”

“Oh! And who might this be, Courtney?”

She has a decision to make. Either go along with Duncan and say that he’s her date or let Justin have his moment.

She turns to face him, “that’s okay, Honey. I’m just glad you made it.”

Shocked by this turn of events, Justin gasps, “Duncan?! What are you doing here? And Courtney, why are you with him!?”

“Look. Princess and I would love to stay and chat, but we really gotta get going. We promised we would sit next to Alejandro and Heather and they’re way ahead of us.”

“You’re so right. We can talk later. We need to find our seats.”

The two of them take this opportunity to hurry and walk away from Justin and the reporter.

“I should be mad at you right now, but thanks for saving me from Justin.”

“Anytime, Princess. I can’t have you all dressed up just for that prick.”

She laughs, “that was kind of sweet. You clean up nicely, I must say.”

“You’ve seen me in a suit before.”

“Not like this.”

“Well if I had known it would get you turned on, I would’ve done it sooner.”

She hits him lightly, “and you had to ruin it. Come on, let just go sit down. Heather’s going to have a heart attack.”

They make their way to their seats. Heather glares at Duncan when she sees him, but she turns her anger toward Alejandro. She knows he was the mastermind behind this. Once the movie starts, everyone is quiet and excited to see how it turned out. Courtney was fantastic, of course. She played her character, Hanna, very well; she brought the audience to tears during her confession to Justin’s character, Harry. Justin wasn’t that bad of an actor, but it was clear who was the true star of the movie. Everyone clapped and praised Courtney for her work after the movie was over and said their goodbyes to their fans.  
——————————————————————------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
It was a terrific night for Courtney. Everyone loved the movie, especially her performance and she had her friends there to support her. They were at an after party, hosted by Heather, of course. The night couldn’t get any better, or so she thought. Duncan was doing everything right. He was being sweet, helping her with everything— even though she could do it herself. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Every time he looked at her, she melted a little. They even made progress talking about a part of their past.

“You really didn’t date anyone after Gwen? I find that hard to believe.”

“I really didn’t. No one could compare to you. What about you? Since you’re a celebrity, I would think you would have guys lining up to date you.”

“Please. I wasn’t interested in any of them. I just cared about my career… but I guess before that, Scott tried.”

“The farm boy? Tell me you said no.”

“Obviously I did, or else you wouldn’t be here with me right now.”

“Why didn’t you give him a shot? Back on All Stars it seemed like you liked him…”

“Maybe I did, but it wasn’t anything that was going to be long term. I was flattered that someone was chasing after me again, but it wasn’t right. I kept comparing him to you. I know it wasn’t fair for him.”

“I’m glad you didn’t go back to him. Not that it would stop me from winning you over.”

“You would still try even if I was with him?”

“He’s not the right person for you. I wouldn’t let you go for him. You should be with someone who deserves you.”

“Oh, and who would that be?”

“Me, of course. You know it’s gonna be me and you till the end, babe.”

She shakes her head, but smiles at that. Typical Duncan. She’s missed this. She almost wanted to give him another chance… almost. She probably would have if Trent didn’t show up. That’s when things got a bit messy.

There was chatter everywhere. Heather found Courtney in the crowd flirting with Duncan. She looked so happy. It’s been awhile since she’s seen Courtney this happy. She almost didn’t want to bother them… almost.

“Courtney! Look who’s here!”

Courtney turns around to see who Heather was talking about. Standing in front of her was none other than Trent. She immediately runs over to hug him.

“I can’t believe you’re here!”

“Of course I’m here for you, Court. I’m just sorry I missed the premiere and I’m not exactly dressed either. My flight just landed about an hour ago.”

“I’m just happy to see you! You must be exhausted. You really didn’t have to come over first thing. I would’ve been fine catching up tomorrow.”

Trent was about to say something else, but he noticed that Courtney wasn’t alone. He looks at Duncan, and then back at Courtney a few times. He missed out on a lot while he was on tour.


	10. Drive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I remember all the times you made me covered in crazy  
> I can’t forget about the way you played me  
> Like I was never gonna change your world  
> It ended long ago, so please just let me go

_Courtney had just gotten off the phone with her lawyer when she stepped out of the jailhouse— that’s when she sees him, or rather, he sees her._

 

_“Hey! Courtney? Is that you?”_

 

_“Trent?”_

 

_“Yeah! Hey, what brings you to this side of Canada?”_

 

_She doesn’t answer right away, and that’s when he looks up to see where she had just walked out of. He understood._

 

_“Why don’t we get out of here and catch up over some coffee? I know a place close by.”_

 

_She smiles and nods. Though, she doesn’t know why she agrees. She barely even knows him._

 

_They go into the coffee shop and place their order, which happens to be the same thing: a regular latte with almond milk. They grab their drinks and sit down by a booth close by the window. Being the nice guy he is, he starts the conversation first._

 

_“So, how have you been?”_

 

_“I’ve been… alright.”_

 

_“Yeah, that makes sense, I watched All Stars… I bet it’s great to finally be away from it all.”_

 

_“Okay, no offense Trent, you seem like a nice guy and all, but why are you talking to me? We don’t know each other. We weren’t even acquaintances on the show.”_

 

_He laughs, “no I guess we weren’t. We never really got the chance to be. Honestly, Courtney, I’m not sure what I’m doing. I just saw a familiar face and I thought I would say hello. I don’t really see the others much.”_

 

_“Not even your band mates?”_

 

_“We broke up. Don’t worry though it was for the best. I needed to finish college anyways. I was probably going to ask for a break.”_

 

_“You’re going to college? Where at?”_

 

_“Yeah, I’m actually attending Columbia right now. I’m just on break, so I thought I would come back and visit my folks.”_

 

_“Wow. I didn’t know someone else from the show would be going out of the country for university. I’m at Harvard. We’re on break right now too. We’re actually not that far from each other.”_

 

_“Awesome. Maybe we’ll run into each other some time.”_

 

_Courtney laughs, “doubtful. That’s still a two hour drive.”_

 

_Trent shrugs, “that’s not too bad. I could ride my bike up there.”_

 

_“You have a motorcycle?”_

 

_“Yeah! It’s a hobby of mine. You should try it some time. It helps me when I feel like I’m thinking too much.”_

 

_“Yeah… maybe not…”_

 

_“Come on, Courtney, live a little. It’ll be fun!”_

 

_“I know. I used to… well… I mean when… Duncan and I were together… it was kinda our thing.”_

 

_“I get that, but I think that’s all the more reason why you should do it. If you enjoy it, that is.”_

 

_“I did like it, but I don’t know… it just doesn’t seem right.”_

 

_“Because it reminds you of him.”_

 

_She just nods her head._

 

_“I can understand that.”_

 

_She suddenly snaps. How could he say that? How could he possibly understand?_

 

_“No, you don’t. How would you know?”_

 

_Instead of being angry or giving her the silent treatment, Trent just gives her a small smile._

 

_“We have a lot more in common than you think, Courtney. I used to date Gwen, remember?”_

 

_Her eyes widen. She did remember… how could she forget?_

 

_“I’m sorry.”_

 

_“It’s okay. That was in the past. I haven’t talked to her since after season three.”_

 

_“Are you two… okay now?”_

 

_She doesn’t know why she asks that. Deep down she probably does consider her a friend, but she’s burned her too many times. Maybe she’s hoping that one day she and Duncan could be okay too if Trent was able to make his peace with Gwen._

 

_“I mean… I guess… it’s hard some days. I’ve moved on, but I do still care for her.”_

 

_“How did you do it?”_

 

_“It took a long time, and honestly, I thought I would never be over her. Some days I still wonder about that, but it gets easier.”_

 

_“Do you think I’ll get there one day?”_

 

_He gives her a reassuring smile, “You’re Courtney, remember? You were a_ CIT _and soon to be Harvard graduate. You can do anything.”_

 

_She smiles. He was right. She could do anything, and she’s going to start with a ride on a motorcycle._

_——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_She graduates at the top of her class, and she couldn’t be happier. Everyone was there celebrating with her. Bridgette and Geoff flew down, her parents, and even Trent. True to his word, he did make the two hour commute to visit her whenever he could. Sometimes, she would go down to visit him too._

 

_The two had become close friends. She finally had someone who understood what she was going through. He became her rock— the two of them supported each other through all the ups and downs during their college years. Now was a new chapter of her life, and she was ready to take on the world, but something still felt like it was missing._

_——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_After her mom passed away, Courtney buried herself in work. She took on as many cases as possible and put all of her energy in them. She didn’t allow herself to feel sad; she never liked feeling weak, and there was nothing worse than crying, according to her. She shuts everyone out of her life: her dad, Bridgette, Trent,_ everyone _. It isn’t until her case takes her to a familiar client that she was able to stop working. Of all people who did she get to represent? Heather. She was being sued by some B list celebrity for defamation. Heather and Alejandro have been hosting Celebrity Gossip ever since they got out of the Total Drama series. They moved to Los Angeles which helped increase their stardom and networking skills. Courtney was so busy trying to take on every case that she didn’t notice when she said yes to representing Heather. Courtney was the best attorney money could buy and Heather knew it. Though they had their differences, she knew she could count on Courtney to defend her._

 

_Surprisingly, Heather wasn’t a terrible client. She was actually a really good one. She never complained to Courtney and always did exactly as she was told. She even managed to stay off her social media while the trial was in process. Luckily for her, it was a short one and the jurors ruled in their favor._

 

_“Congratulations? Heather, you won your case. Now you can go back to posting on Instagram and Twitter.”_

 

_“Finally!”_

 

_She pulls out her phone immediately, pulling Courtney in._

 

_“Smile!”_

 

_A flash goes off. Courtney didn’t even have time to react. Heather looks at the photo and frowns._

 

_“What’s with that look? You weren’t even smiling!”_

 

_“Well, I wasn’t expecting you to want to take a picture!”_

 

_“Of course I would, silly. You’re the reason I won the case. You_ have _to be in the picture! We’re going to take another one, this time, be prepared.”_

 

_They take another photograph; and this one seemed to please Heather._

 

_“Perfect! I’ll tag you in it.”_

 

_With that, she walks away, already typing up a caption to use for her post. Before she’s completely out of sight, Courtney gets a notification on her phone._

 

_@QueenBeeHeather tagged you in a post._

 

_@CourtofCourtney is the best! If you have any legal troubles, go to her!_

 

_She smiles. Heather wasn’t_ that _bad after all. She immediately gained new followers because of the shout out. She hadn’t really posted anything since she graduated college. There were a bunch of likes and comments. Some from members of Total Drama too. That was surprising, she didn’t think Heather had made any friends, let alone kept any friends, on that show._

 

_@TrenttheMuscian commented on the photo_

_@CourtofCourtney knew you could do it! Congrats to you two for winning the case!_

 

_She likes the comment and the photo. She gets a text from Heather right after asking when she was free because they needed to go celebrate. She replies saying she’s too busy, but Heather won’t take no for an answer, and they settle on dinner on Friday. No boys allowed— just the two of them. She finds it strange that she agreed to it, but it was hard to say no to her._

 

_Slowly, but surely, Heather brings Courtney out more often; stopping her from taking on too many cases. This, of course, has Hollywood buzzing, leading to Courtney being offered a spot as a Judge on T.V. She initially declines, but Heather talks her into it. Plus, Bridgette and Trent were equally as supportive. She decides to go for it and it’s a huge success. Always prepared for everything, she hires a manager and she gets booked to do her first movie where she’s the main character. She ends up with other gigs, but she’s selective about what she wants to do. Playing it smart, she only takes roles that she thinks she could do justice._

_——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_Trent ends up picking up the guitar again with encouragement from Courtney. Together they decided what would go on his first album. She helped him with a few of his songs, but they were mostly written by Trent. From the very first single, it was a hit. He releases the album and soon after, his fame increases dramatically. This, in turn, made Courtney even more famous since the two were known to be best friends. They would frequently hang out and make posts about it. They started twitter wars and posted short clips of covers on Instagram. They both had an incredible voice which was even more mesmerizing when they would sing together. Fans began asking for a duet and soon #Trentney was born. At first they thought it was funny since they never once entertained the idea. They were friends, just friends. This inspired Trent to write a song about Courtney, but unfortunately, it only fueled the ship more, despite the track title. It made things between them a little awkward at first, but their friendship was still strong and they didn’t let rumors bother them. Even if it sometimes came from Heather. She only means well, but after Scott, Courtney didn’t have another relationship. Trent would date other people sometimes, but Courtney was always single. Heather suspected it was because of Duncan, but of course, Courtney would never admit it._

 

_She didn’t have to._

 

_It was easy to see and it annoyed Heather that Courtney still wasn’t over him. Courtney became a close friend of hers and she wanted the best for her. If Duncan really wanted her back, he was going to have to work for it. Courtney has friends who stand with her, and no matter what, their friendship would last._

  



	11. Madness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come to me, just in a dream  
> Come on and rescue me  
> Yes I know I can be wrong  
> Maybe you're too headstrong

Duncan was currently giving Trent a death glare. Trent chose to ignore it, and instead, he was focusing on Courtney. He had a million questions he wanted to ask her.

 

Courtney knew she had a lot of explaining to do… She signed and grabbed Trent’s hand, pulling him away from the crowd, much to the the dismay of Duncan. He immediately tries to follow them, but his path is blocked by Heather.

 

“Get out of my way, Heather.”

 

“Why? So you can go and follow them? Let them catch up. If she wanted you there, she would’ve told you to follow.”

 

“I just don’t like the idea of them being alone together.”

 

Heather rolls her eyes, “if something was going to happen between them, it would’ve happened already. There’s no point in trying to follow them. Courtney’s just going to end up ditching the party to talk to Trent. Believe me, I’ve been there.”

 

“How can I not be worried when you say things like that?”

 

“Look, Duncan, you’re in no position to be jealous. You two are NOT together. Even if you were, Courtney’s never given you a reason to doubt her loyalty. You would be smart to just do as I say and wait it out.”

 

“That’s easy for you to say. You wouldn’t wait outside if it was Alejandro.”

 

“That’s where you’re wrong. I trust him and I KNOW he loves me. If you want Courtney to trust you, then you need to trust her too.”

——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Courtney and Trent end up outside in the garden. It was a beautiful night out with a slight breeze. This would be the perfect setting to get some song writing done, but that wasn’t why they were here.

 

“So… I guess I have a lot of explaining to do…”

 

“Maybe a little. Let’s just start with why is Duncan here.”

 

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that, but I’ve been distracted… he says he’s here to win me back.”

 

“Do you believe him?”

 

“Yes, I do.”

 

“Is it working?”

 

“I think it’s working a little too well. I’m scared, Trent.”

 

“You think he’s going to hurt you again.”

 

“It’s a possibility.”

 

“That’s true, but as long as you two have worked out what happened in the past, then it could be worth a shot.”

 

“About that…”

 

“You two didn’t talk about what happened?”

 

“No.”

 

“Courtney, that’s kind of important.”

 

“I know, I know. I just don’t want to face it yet…”

 

“When are you going to then? You two can’t just stay in this weird middle ground forever.”

 

“I know, you’re right. It’s just… I’m afraid to trust him again.”

 

“Do you think he’s changed?”

 

“It feels like it. These last few weeks felt like when we were on the island again. He still cares about me, I know that, but I don’t wanna just go back to him. What kind of person would that make me?”

 

“Someone who’s willing to risk getting hurt again if it means you get a chance at love.”

 

“That should be in a song.”

 

He laughs, “you’re right. I’ll name it after you.”

 

“Thanks, Trent. I’m really glad to have you in my life.”

 

“The feeling’s mutual. You’ve made my life better too.”

——————————————————————------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trent and Courtney return to the party and they’re both smiling. Duncan was anxiously waiting for them to be back, but seeing them both so happy to be around each other was making him feel sick. He wanted to pull Courtney away from him— to prove she was his. Problem was, she wasn’t his, at least not officially. It was an uphill battle and he was getting tired of it.

 

“Duncan, Trent’s here. Say hello.”

 

“Yeah. I’ve noticed.”

 

“Hey, Duncan, long time no see.”

 

“It hasn’t been long enough.”

 

“Duncan! I get that you’re upset, but you should be mad at me, not Trent.”

 

“Of course I can’t be mad at Trent. He can do no wrong in your eyes.”

 

“Duncan, seriously, what’s your problem?”

 

“It’s okay, Court. I’m not bothered by it, really.”

 

“I still can’t believe you let him call you that.”

 

“Why wouldn’t I? I think he’s earned the right to call me by a nickname.”

 

“So you’re saying _I_ don’t deserve to?”

 

“What? No!You’re not even making sense anymore.”

 

“Whatever. I’ll just leave you two alone. Isn’t that what you wanted in the first place?”

 

“You’re an idiot! You should know what I want!”

 

“How?! You won’t tell me anything! The only person who knows about us is Trent! Don’t you see a problem with that??”

 

“Alright you two, calm down. Let’s just talk about this.”

 

“Oh, you would like that wouldn’t you? Then you can seem like the good guy, rescuing Courtney away from me.”

 

“Duncan, you’re letting your jealousy get to you. Courtney and I are just friends.”

 

“You know, the more I hear that statement, the more I think it’s a load of bullshit. I’m not in the mood to deal with this right now. I’m leaving.”

 

“So you’re giving up? After you promised me you wouldn’t!? Heather was right. I can’t trust you.”

 

“You haven’t trusted me this entire time. What’s new? We can talk once you realize that I’m not the only one at fault. I tried talking to you, but you kept shutting me out.”

 

Duncan walks out and Courtney doesn’t chase after him. She wasn’t going to waste her time looking for him again. This time, she’s done. It was too good to be true. She should’ve known it would all come crashing down… just like before.

 


	12. Love is Madness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are insane, my desire  
> A dangerous game, love, love  
> You are crazy, perfect liar  
> Simply save me, love, love
> 
> I knew the moment I looked into your eyes  
> I'd have to swallow all your lies
> 
> I never said that I would be your lover  
> I never said that I would be your friend  
> I never said that I would take no other

“You just walked out!? Why would you do that!?”

 

“I don’t know, Gwen! I just couldn’t stand seeing them together. You didn’t see the way her eyes lit up when she saw him—I just couldn’t handle it.”

 

“And you’ve never seen the way she looks at you either. I’m sure it can’t compare to the way she looks at Trent— It just can’t.”

 

“You weren’t there, Gwen. She confides in him, she trusts him, she cares for him… they make sense.”

 

“That’s not true, and you know it. You’re an idiot, you know that? You walking away is proving to her that you’re not worth it.”

 

“Maybe I’m not.”

 

“Don’t say that, Duncan!”

 

“What does it matter to you anyways? You’ve been waiting for me to finally give up on her. You never thought we were right together.”

 

“I was wrong, okay? Sure, you guys can be opposites, but that’s what makes you two work! You complement each other; you bring out the best in each other.”

 

“More like the  _ worst _ . I don’t understand her like Trent does. How can I compete with that?”

 

“Why are you even competing against him? He’s never once tried to be with Courtney. And you know it’s not her fault that Trent can relate to her… that was our fault.”

 

“I know that— I’m reminded everyday that I fucked up. You and I are better off as friends.”

 

“Yeah, I wish we realized that sooner. Maybe things would be different…”

 

“You know, I never did asked cause I was caught up in my own problems… I always suspected, since I never got over Courtney, but are you over Trent?”

 

“I… I don’t really know.”

 

“You don’t know?”

 

“No, I don’t. Some days I feel like I am, but then I see him on T.V or I hear his song on the radio, it makes me doubt my feelings. He’s a really good guy and I know I don’t deserve him after what happened, but I can’t help but wanting to know if he would give us another try.”

 

“I know the feeling.”

 

“See, Duncan, this is why we’re friends. We can relate with this. Just like how Courtney and Trent can relate with each other. It’s been five years and we’re still friends, so why can’t they just be friends?”

 

“That’s different.”

 

“How is it different? If anything, it’s worse for us. We were in a relationship, they never were!”

 

“That’s the problem! We got it out of our systems, how do I know if Courtney really wants to be with me when she’s never been with Trent?”

 

“Okay, you’re not making sense anymore. Look, why don’t we just look through their media accounts and see what they say about each other?”

 

“So you want us to be like Sierra?”

 

“Maybe not to that extent, but it might help you see that they’re just friends.”

 

Gwen pulls out her laptop to open up Instagram and searches for Courtney’s account first. She doesn’t have that many personal posts, and most of it has to deal with her show amongst other series she’s been in. Although, every year for the last five years, she does make a birthday post wishing Trent a happy birthday. The last one is a photo of the two of them together,  standing in front of the Eiffel Tower smiling with the caption: Happy Birthday to the best guy I know! #bestfriendsforever 

 

“See. That isn’t so bad. They’re just really good friends.”

 

“I guess…”

 

“Okay, fine. We’ll look at Trent’s account too.”

 

This was not the best plan… Trent is a sweet and romantic guy— he’s also a lot less private than Courtney is. His posts often fuel the ‘Trentney’ rumors. He has a few posts from his tour and album, though, many of his photos are mainly hints at songs he’s working on. He tags Courtney in the videos of songs she helps him out on; which was about half of them. He also makes birthday posts for her. The latest one was of her sitting on his motorcycle with a caption that read- Happy Birthday, Court! Isn’t she stunning? #mytwofavoritegirls

 

There were also some videos of the two of them singing together  _ all _ tagged ‘#Trentney’. The last one had a million views with a caption that asked if the fans would want to see them together on stage. The video before that was of Trent secretly recording Courtney singing and when she found out, she playfully tried to get him to delete it. They were laughing a lot and making fun of each other. This did not look good for Duncan. It was easy to see why they had a huge fan following of those who wanted them to be together.

 

Gwen quickly closes her laptop since this wasn’t easy for her to see either. She still doesn’t believe that Courtney likes Trent in that way, but she was starting to wonder if Trent felt more for her. She looks over at Duncan and sees that he’s hurt too. It was not a good idea to look through those posts, but if only they looked through the comments. That would’ve cleared up any doubts they had about their friendship.

——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the incident, Courtney was heartbroken. Instead of trying to bury herself in her work, she decides to take a break. Something she has never let herself do after her mother’s passing. Everything was becoming too much for her to handle. Everyone was worried about her so she took Bridgette’s offer to stay with her at her home in Hawaii. She needed time away from the rest of the world. Heather was pissed, which really wasn’t helping… Trent on the other hand, was being really sweet to Courtney, but it didn’t feel right. He was very understanding about the whole situation and he kept his distance, knowing she would need it. She was truly grateful to have a friend like him, but right now, she needed Bridgette’s optimistic nature in life to get her through everything.

 

The two of them were currently camped out in the living room with a bunch of ice cream. And Geoff was banished to the other side of the house while they talked.

 

“Thanks for letting me stay here, Bridge.”

 

“Hey, what are best friends for? You know I always have your back, Court.”

 

“I know. I just wish I wasn’t doing this again. I thought I would be over eating ice cream till we're sick after I graduated college.”

 

“Well, I mean, to be fair, you’ve only done this one other time.”

 

“Yeah, and I’m doing it again for the same reason. Why can’t I just be over him?”

 

“I think you two are meant to be. That’s why you can’t get over him! You know he feels the same way about you too.”

 

“Then why did he leave… again?”

 

“I can’t tell you for sure what the reason is, but I have a theory. It can’t be easy for him to hear all of the rumors about you and Trent. Sure, he could’ve been a bit calmer and just talked to you, but we’ve all seen how emotional he gets. Especially when it involves you. You’re his kryptonite, Courtney.”

 

“And he’s mine… I know it was hard on him; and I was going to explain everything and let him know that Trent and I are 100% just friends. We just don’t look at each other like that… I understand how it feels. I hated hearing all those rumors about him and Gwen. But then it turned out to be true.”

 

“And that’s probably why he thinks you’re going to end up with Trent. You know that saying about karma being a bitch and all.”

 

“That’s ridiculous. He should know that  _ he’s _ the one that I love.”

 

“You two are pretty unconventional when it comes to love. Besides, you do crazy things for love.”

 

“Not anymore, I can’t handle this again. I really can’t see him walk away from me again, Bridge. I can’t do it.”

 

“He did say that he still wanted to talk things through with you. I don’t think he’s given up just yet, Court. You just gotta give him a chance. You have to trust him.”

 

“You know what’s crazy? I really shouldn’t believe anything he says, but he’s  _ Duncan _ . I do trust him; and I trust him more than I should. I know I always told him he had to earn my trust back, but the truth is, I was ready to take him back the moment I saw him in New York. And you know what? If he came back, I would probably still give him a chance. How pathetic.”

 

“No, you’re not. You love him and he loves you. He’ll be back. He always finds a way back to you. Just hear him out, alright? Don’t let your pride or fear get in the way.”

 

“I know you’re right, Bridge, I just hope we don’t take another five years to try this again.”

——————————————————————------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unbeknownst to the girls, Geoff was eavesdropping on their conversation. He did host Aftermath, and it's hard to stay away from the details. Besides, both Duncan and Courtney are his friends. Just like Bridgette, he knows they’re meant for each other. After hearing Courtney’s confession, he had to tell Duncan that he has a chance. He calls his number, hoping that it doesn’t go to voicemail.

 

“Geoff? What’s going on?”

 

“Duncan, bro, I’m glad you picked up. You gotta listen to me, man! You need to come down to Hawaii and win Courtney back!”

 

“Geoff, I don’t know… I fucked up. I don’t think she wants to see me ever again.”

 

“No, dude, you gotta listen to me. Look, I’ve stayed out of this long enough, but you need to know the truth: she still loves you. She has loved you for the past five years. She’s been waiting for you, even if she won’t admit it. Do you know how many dates she had to turn down cause she wasn’t over you? You’re  _ it _ for her, man. You gotta come down here!”

 

“What if it goes badly again? What then? I’m running out of chances with her. I thought I figured it out this time, but I didn’t.”

 

“Trust me on this, Duncan. If you love her, you have to try again.”

 

“I do love her, I just… I don’t know. I know I have to try again, but I need to know that she cares. I need a sign.”

 

“Alright, fine, but don’t wait too long. She’s waited this long for you, don’t make her wait another five years.”

——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days pass and Duncan still hasn’t made his move. He knows he has to do it soon, but he just couldn’t get himself to go through with it. His mind was playing tricks on him. 

 

Gwen had been unusually quiet about the whole thing. She was always the one telling him to go back and fix things, but these last few days she’s been gone. It was hard for her to deal with the Trent thing too. Although today, she found something that she thought would help Duncan. 

 

“Duncan, you need to see this!”

 

“What is it, Gwen?”

 

“Trent and Courtney both made a new post.”

 

“Not this again. The last time we did this, it ended horribly, remember?”

 

“This is important, though! Just look!”

 

She pulls up Trent’s page first and it’s a picture of him with his guitar— the caption reads: Headlining a benefit concert in New York this Saturday and I have a special guest joining me! I finally got her to say yes! #Trentney

 

“They’re going to be on stage together? I don’t see how this was supposed to make me feel better.”

 

“That’s where we need to be Saturday. Courtney’s post is the reason why we’re going. Look!”

 

She pulls up Courtney’s account. She wasn’t promoting the concert, instead, she posted a picture of a book. Not just any book though, this one was special. Her caption read: Nothing makes me feel better than to curl up with my favorite book. I feel like this was written especially for me. This is everything I’ve ever wanted to hear. #WordsIllNeverSay

 

“There’s your sign, Duncan. She’s read the book.”

  
  



	13. Nostalgia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nostalgia, I still want you bad  
> Been thinking 'bout our old thing  
> All the time  
> Nostalgia, I should pick up my phone and just stalk ya (ha)  
> It's all just so confusing  
> All the time
> 
> Nausea  
> When I think of the pain I caused ya  
> When I bit the hand that held me like Jaws, yeah  
> It eats me up inside
> 
> New memories, they only get what's left of me  
> Guess now it's my reality  
> Hits me all the time

It’s Saturday night. The concert was in full swing with Trent taking the stage. He was nearing the end of his set, which means Courtney will join him shortly for the last song. Duncan and Gwen are inside the venue, pushing through the crowds. Everyone here was for Trent, so nobody really bothered them besides getting upset at their shoving. Their plan was to ambush them after the event, so they started looking around to see the best way to get backstage. They see a door leading to the back with a security guard by it. Now, they just had to find a way in. Luckily for them, Anna happened to be walking out the door. 

 

“Anna! Hey, do you think we could go back there?”

 

“Oh hey, Duncan. Yeah, I don’t see why not. I guess I’ll let you guys through…”

 

She glances at Gwen, but decides that she’s alright to go too. The two of them make their way down the hall to the back of the stage where music was blaring. They make it there just in time to see that Trent has brought Courtney out to the stage. All they had to do now, was wait. 

 

“Alright everyone, let’s give a warm welcome to my special guest: Courtney!”

 

She walks out onto the stage wearing one of Trent’s tour shirts and hugs him. The crowd is goes wild seeing her. 

 

“Thanks, Trent. How’s everyone doing tonight!?”

 

The crowd screams. Everyone was having a great time.

 

“That’s awesome! Well, I hope you guys don’t mind me crashing the concert, but we have something a little special planned.”

 

“This is going to be the last song of the night, and I don’t normally do covers, but I’m making an exception for this one. This song’s called Landslide.”

 

The music starts to play and as soon as they start singing, it’s clear that these lyrics describe their relationship perfectly.

 

_ I know it hurts sometimes but _ __   
_ You'll get over it _ __   
_ You'll find another life to live _ __   
_ I know you'll get over it _ __   
_ I know you're sad and tired _ __   
_ You've got nothing left to give _ __   
_ But you'll find another life to live _ __   
_ I know you'll get over it _ __   
_ So when you're caught in a landslide _ __   
_ I'll be there for you, I'll be there for you _ __   
_ And in the rain, give you sunshine _ __   
_ I'll be there for you, I'll be there for you _ __   
_ And every time that you're lonely _ __   
_ Every time that you're feeling low, you should know _ __   
_ I'll be there for you, I'll be there for you _ _   
_ __ I'll be there for you, you know

 

They were each other’s support when no one else could understand their pain. They had a bond that no one could replace. It was obvious from their interaction on stage how well they fit with each other. They were both smiling and letting one another know that they would always be there for each other. It wasn’t easy for Duncan and Gwen to see this— no wonder so many people wanted ‘Trentney’ to be real. It’s moments like this that make people believe they are together. After the song is over, the crowd goes wild, wanting another song. Everyone wants Trent to sing “Just a Friend” since they knows it’s about Courtney, but she shakes her head.

 

“I know you all want to hear that song, but I don’t think Courtney’s up for it.”

 

“Oh sure, throw me under the bus. You’re right though, this night isn’t about me! It’s about the music and the children foundation! Thank you all for showing up and for your donations! I’m so honored to have been a part of this and I hope to see you all soon!”

 

“You heard her! Have a great night and we will see you guys again! Tag her on all your videos so she knows that she has to go out on stage with me again! Big thanks to the Children Foundation for making this happen, and of course, to all the fans!”

 

The crowd continues to clap as the two of them walk off the stage. They were having a great time and it felt surreal to be on stage like that for Courtney.

 

“This is how you feel every time you’re on stage? I can see why you do this.”

 

“It’s the best feeling, seeing everyone connect with you and your music— which is  _ why _ we need to finish our songs and make an album together!”

 

She laughs, “you might actually convince me to do it this time.”

 

They’re both laughing and having a good time until they’re suddenly face to face with Duncan and Gwen. To say it was unexpected to see them would be an understatement. Courtney stops walking and just stares at them. She’s wondering if she’s dreaming again.

 

“Duncan?”

 

“I’m really here, Princess.”

 

She knows she should be mad, but she knows she was wrong too. All logic goes out the window as she chooses to go with her feelings instead. She’s so happy to see him again that she runs towards him and hugs him.

 

“I can’t believe you’re here… you’re really here…”

 

“I’m so sorry, Courtney. You should be mad at me. I missed you so much, I was stupid, and I’m sorry.”

 

Trent and Gwen are left awkwardly watching their reunion. Neither of them thought Courtney would forgive him so easily, but then again, neither of them knew how much she loves him. She didn’t want him to be the one who got away; waiting five years was enough.

 

As much as Trent was happy for Courtney, he had to make sure that this time Duncan wouldn’t bail. 

 

“I know you and Courtney have a lot to discuss, but I want to talk to you, Duncan.”

 

“Yeah, I think we have a few things to talk about too.”

 

The two of them step off to the side while the girls were catching up. There were some things that needed to be cleared up.

 

“I know you love Courtney— anyone can see that, but I need to know that this time you’re not going to run. Like it or not, we’re friends, but that’s all we are.”

 

“Look, Trent, I’ll admit I was wrong. I’m sorry, but this time I  _ am  _ serious. I won’t let her down again.”

 

“Alright… I trust you. If you’re being sincere, then I’ll be seeing you around.”

 

“I’ll be there.”

——————————————————————---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile… the girls were talking. 

 

“I’m sure you’re not thrilled to see me again, especially with Duncan, but I want you to know that we’re not together, and that I’m sorry.”

 

“Honestly, Gwen, I haven’t really thought much about you since All Stars. I’m not mad at you anymore and I know that you’re not with Duncan.”

 

“So are we okay?”

 

“I think so. Trent’s helped me realize that I need to let go of the past. Besides, I know you and Duncan are still friends. If we work out then I’ll get to see you more often.”

 

“I really hope so. He really loves you, Courtney.”

 

She smiles, “I know.”

 

The boys start walking back, but there’s one more thing Courtney has to say to Gwen, “I really hope you get what you came here for.”

 

Gwen isn’t sure what she’s referring to, but before she can ask, the boys are back.

 

Trent is the first to speak, “um… so, Gwen and I will let you two catch up. We’re gonna go back to my dressing room.”

 

Surprised by this, Gwen asks, “we?”

 

“Well Courtney and Duncan have a lot to talk about. Besides, I think there’s a couple things we need closure on too.”

 

Courtney agrees, “I’ll see you later, Trent. I definitely do need to talk to Duncan. Oh, and Gwen, thanks for bringing him.”

 

Courtney and Duncan head back to Courtney’s apartment while Trent and Gwen go to Trent’s dressing room.

——————————————————————---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So it’s been a while, Gwen, how have you been?”

 

“I’m doing alright and it seems like you’re doing good too.”

 

“Yeah, I am. I’m living my dream. I couldn’t be happier about where I am in life right now.”

 

“That’s great! I’m really glad to see you’re doing well…”

 

“Okay, I gotta ask, were you the one who sent Courtney the fanmail? She told me about it and I read it too… it really looks like something you would write.”

 

“Alright, you caught me. Yes, I did write it. To be honest, I didn’t intend on sending it… but I got tired of seeing Duncan mope around and I just thought that maybe this would push Courtney to do something you know?”

 

“Well it got to her. I mean you were thanking her for helping you break up with him. How you said that you two weren’t meant to be. It really made her think if she did the right thing with Duncan.”

 

“Honestly those two are made for each other. I’ve never seen two people so different yet so in sync. Neither of them ever moved on.”

 

“Yeah, I know Courtney’s never forgotten about Duncan. Kinda makes me hate him sometimes you know?”

 

“Does that mean…?”

 

“No, we’re just friends. I get why you would think that though. Everyone does and maybe in another lifetime we could be together; but not this one.”

 

“You care a lot about her.”

 

“I do, I love her. She’s my best friend, but we could never be more than that. I’m not her right person and she’s not mine.”

 

“Then who is your right person?”

 

Trent smiles at her, but he doesn’t give her the answer she wants, “I don’t think I’ve met her yet. I’ll let you know if I ever do, though.”

 

Gwen understood what Courtney was trying to tell her now. He’s moved on. The worst part is that he hasn’t even found someone else. He just knows that he’s done with her. It’s time for her to move on as well. After all, he did say they needed closure.

——————————————————————-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duncan and Courtney were back in her apartment, sitting in her living room. Just like they were that first night he stayed with her. They need to talk and this time, Courtney was going to be ready for it. She has to be.

 

“I might be making the biggest mistake of my life right now, but I need you to know that I still care about you a lot,Duncan. You have no idea how hard it is for me to say that to you right now.”

 

“You’re not making a mistake, I promise. I love you, Courtney. I always have and I always will. We have a lot to sort out, though, but let’s just try and start over… okay?”

 

He extends his hand out for a handshake. She accepts it.

 

“Hi, I’m Duncan. Ten years ago I met the most amazing girl and I fell in love with her. I’m still in love with her, but I made a huge mistake back when we were teenagers. I don’t expect her to forgive me, but I still hope that she does.”

 

Courtney smiles at that and she feels her heartrate slow down. Starting over feels like a good idea. “Hi, Duncan, I’m Courtney and I think that she’s forgiven you. While we’re being honest here, she also loves you too.”

 

“I’ve waited so long to hear you say those words again.”

 

“You know, when I walked away from you five years ago, I thought I could stop thinking about you. I tried, but you kept showing up in my dreams. Nothing I did could stop it. I wanted to hate you for it, but I knew it wasn’t your fault.”

 

“I would hate me too. I still can’t believe that you would forgive me. When you showed up at the jailhouse, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, but you were really there.”

 

“I almost gave in when I saw you there, but it wasn’t the right time.”

 

“It probably wasn’t, but I thought about you every day. I had to prove to you that I would turn my life around so I stopped getting into trouble.”

 

“Your parents must have been happy about that.”

 

“They were thrilled. They knew it was because of you, though. They adore you and they always told me that you were the best thing to ever happen to me.”

 

“I miss them. Especially after my mom died… it was hard— nothing helped. Bridgette, Heather, and Trent all tried, but it was something I had to get over on my own. The night she passed, I was in denial. I lied in bed wishing it was a nightmare; I couldn’t sleep so I climbed on top of the roof and just looked at the stars. I didn’t cry then, but I did when I went to visit her grave. That’s when it was real.”

 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, Princess.”

 

“It’s okay, I know you would have wanted to be there, but I don’t know if I could handle seeing you pity me.”

 

“There was so many times in the last five years where I wanted to reach out, but I didn’t.”

 

“What finally made you reach out?”

 

“Honestly? The Total Drama Reunion. I was really hoping to see you there and I wasn’t going to show up, but Geoff convinced me when he said he would get you to go. You didn’t end up going and I know it was because of me. I wasn’t that mad about it until I saw you with Trent. I didn’t even know you two were close!”

 

“We got close after the show. It was actually  _ right _ after I left you in jail. We ran into each other and we ended up talking. He could relate to how I felt. He was going to school near me, so we ended up hanging out more and well, the rest is history. He’s been a really big support in my life. I can’t imagine my life without him now.”

 

“Yeah… I can see that…”

 

She puts her hand on his and squeezes it, “I love Trent as a best friend— nothing more. I know that might not be easy for you, but it’s the truth.”

 

“I know, Princess, I’m just jealous that he got to be in your life when I didn’t. I know it’s not his fault, and I’m glad someone was there for you… I just wish that it was me.”

 

“It’s not too late for it to be you.”

 

“I’m counting on that— cause, Princess, we’re end game.”


	14. End Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big reputation, big reputation  
> Ooh, you and me would be a big conversation,  
> And I heard about you,  
> You like the bad ones, too
> 
> I wanna be your end game (end game)  
> I wanna be your first string (first string)  
> I wanna be your A-Team (A-Team)  
> I wanna be your end game, end game

The light shines through the sheer curtains waking Courtney up. She glances at her clock and it’s 9:34 A.M. she panics, and tries to get up, but she can’t. She was currently trapped under the arms of her fiancé. 

 

“Duncan, I have to get up! Let go!”

 

“Princess, it’s the last day of our vacation, we don’t have to be on set until tomorrow.”

 

Oh that’s right. They don’t start filming until Monday. She had forgotten. Courtney is starring in a movie adaption of the book _ Dear Princess _ a sequel to Duncan’s book  _ Words I’ll Never Say _ . Neither of them ever expected life to take them this way, but they couldn’t be happier. Even though they weren’t married yet, Duncan insisted on wearing a ring too. It makes Courtney smile and gives her an excuse to hold his hand. She looks down at her engagement ring shining in the light. If someone told her ten years ago that she would marry Duncan, she wouldn’t have believed them. They were just a summer fling. If someone told her five years ago she would marry Duncan, she would brush it off as wishful thinking. Now, though, she doesn’t have to worry. They were always going to be end game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for following this to the end. Never thought that I would be sitting here doing this. I'm MarsHunter06 on Tumblr if you wanna talk (:


End file.
